At least 8,938 people died while attempting to migrate to another country in 2024 – marking the deadliest year on record for migrants worldwide, the UN said on Friday.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) warned that the actual death toll is likely much higher, as many deaths go undocumented due to a lack of official sources.
“The tragedy of the growing number of migrant deaths worldwide is both unacceptable and preventable. Behind every number is a human being, someone for whom the loss is devastating,” said IOM deputy director general for operations Ugochi Daniels in a press release.
“The increase in deaths across so many regions in the world shows why we need an international, holistic response that can prevent further tragic loss of life.”
Five-year upward trend
The 2024 figure continues a five-year trend of rising migrant deaths. It surpasses the previous record of 8,747 deaths recorded in 2023.
Asia recorded the highest regional toll with 2,778 deaths, followed by Africa with 2,242. The IOM documented 2,452 deaths in the Mediterranean Sea. Although not a record, the number remains high.
The agency said: “The figures showed the need for adequate search and rescue systems as well as the need for safe and regular migration routes.”
Data for the Americas is not yet complete, but at least 1,233 deaths were reported there in 2024. That includes 341 people who died in the Caribbean – an unprecedented number – and a record 174 deaths in the Darién jungle between Panama and Colombia.
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Violence a major cause
Since 2022, at least 10 percent of all recorded migrant deaths have been due to violence. In 2024, this was largely linked to violence against people in transit in Asia. Nearly 600 people died on migration routes across South and South-Eastern Asia.
The IOM said most of the victims remain unidentified, leaving families without answers and hindering efforts to respond to the crisis.
“The rise in deaths is terrible in and of itself, but the fact that thousands remain unidentified each year is even more tragic,” said Julia Black, coordinator of the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.
“Beyond the despair and unresolved questions faced by families who have lost a loved one, the lack of more complete data on risks faced by migrants hinders life-saving responses.”
Call for global response
The IOM is calling for an international response to address the growing number of deaths.
Its upcoming annual report will provide further analysis of the data from 2024, as well as a new focus on missing migrants in humanitarian crises.
The agency said the rising death toll highlights the need for safe, legal routes for people on the move. It described them as the only sustainable solution to the crisis of migrant deaths.
