From India to OECD nations: 9.25 lakh Indians acquired foreign citizenship in five years

Between 2020 and 2024, around 9.25 lakh Indian citizens acquired the nationality of an OECD member country, The Times of India reported, citing the report.

However, permanent migration to OECD countries followed a downward trend globally, declining by 1.6% in 2025 for the second consecutive year. Despite the fall, the number of new permanent immigrants remained historically high at 6.1 million, 12.5% above the 2019 level.

The International Migration Outlook 2026 highlights varying migration trends across major destination countries, with permanent migration — broadly covering people moving for family, employment or humanitarian reasons with long-term residency rights — declining in several countries while continuing to rise in others.

Family reunification remained the primary reason for permanent migration, accounting for 45% of total inflows. Labour migration, which represented 20% of inflows, increased, while humanitarian migration accounted for 10% and registered a significant decline of 26% in 2025.

Immigrants accounted for 12% of the OECD population in 2025, compared with 9% in 2015. In just over half of OECD countries, immigrants contributed at least 50% of employment growth between 2014 and 2024.

However, the report noted that migration's contribution to productivity depends largely on how effectively countries utilise migrants' skills and support investment and innovation.

One in five STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates across OECD countries is foreign-born. Migrants are also disproportionately represented among researchers and founders of innovative businesses. However, they are more likely to work in lower-productivity firms and sectors, with their qualifications and skills often underutilised.

Several OECD countries have expanded programmes to attract highly skilled foreign workers. The report called for better recognition of foreign qualifications and improved matching of migrants' skills with suitable employment opportunities. It also cautioned that recruiting migrant workers should not come at the expense of investment in productivity and better working conditions.

The report also highlighted the growing role of migrant workers in long-term care as ageing populations drive up demand for such services. While international recruitment can help address labour shortages, the OECD stressed the need for improved working conditions, better career prospects and measures to retain workers.

International student inflows to OECD countries declined from 1.9 million in 2024 to 1.6 million in 2025, with the fall largely concentrated in traditional English-speaking destinations. In contrast, European countries continued to attract increasing numbers of international students, particularly Austria, Germany and Italy.

Asylum applications also declined across most OECD countries in 2025. Excluding the United States, applications fell by more than one-fifth compared with 2024, although they remained above pre-pandemic levels.

Applications from Syrian nationals dropped sharply, while those from several African nationalities increased. Indicators of irregular migration also declined in many OECD countries, even as the number of migrant returns continued to rise.

Labour market outcomes for immigrants remained relatively resilient in 2025. Nearly 71% of immigrants were employed across OECD countries, although migrant unemployment rates increased in more than two-thirds of member countries.

The employment rate among immigrant women stood at 63.4%, which was 15.1 percentage points lower than that of immigrant men.

"Migration remains high, and immigrants now account for 16% of employment across the OECD," OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said.

"With ageing populations and slower productivity growth, countries cannot afford to waste the skills migrants bring. That means helping migrants move into jobs where they can contribute most, and giving immigrant entrepreneurs better access to finance, networks and business support," he added.