Reliable data on international migration matter more than ever

Reliable data on international migrants and migration are crucial for assessing current and future trends, identifying policy priorities, making informed decisions, promoting evidence-based discourse and dispelling misleading and harmful narratives. Yet there is often a lack of clarity about what international migration is, who should be considered an international migrant for statistical purposes, and how migration should be measured. Even when there is agreement on these specific technical issues, data on international migration and migrants are often incomplete or out of date. As a result, there can be gaps in the available information or discrepancies in the numbers cited, leading to uninformed decision-making by policymakers and mistrust among the public.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration places an emphasis on addressing data gaps and strengthening national capacities for the collection, analysis and dissemination of data and statistics on international migration and migrants. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also recognizes the importance of increasing the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by migration status. 

From 16 to 18 June 2025, UN DESA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will convene the 4th International Forum on Migration Statistics (IFMS 2025) in Malmö, Sweden. The Forum will bring together producers and users of data and statistics on international migrants and migration. Participants will share their knowledge and experiences in measuring migration and producing data that accurately reflect the varied lived experiences of migrants. 

The Forum will be organized around the following six broad themes:

1. Revised UN recommendations on statistics of international migration and temporary mobility;
2. Data solutions to promote regular migration pathways;
3. Challenges and recent advancements in the measurement of socioeconomic integration and inclusion of migrants and refugees;
4. Current developments in migration forecasting;
5. Cooperation and partnerships on statistics on international migration;
6. Building national capacities for the production of data and statistics on international migration and migrants.

Learn more about the 4th International Forum on Migration Statistics here.

Stream the plenary sessions online and check out the agenda.

Photo credit: Amanda Nero / IOM