Total living abroad hits 232m, says UN report
Big rise in migrants, with US top choice and two-thirds heading for Europe and Asia
More people around the world than ever are living abroad and the United States remains the most popular destination, according to new data.
The United Nations Population Division reported that 232 million people, or 3.2 per cent of the world's population, are now living outside their homeland - a big increase from the 175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990.
New sources and destinations of migrants are emerging, and in some cases, countries have become important points of origin, transit and destination simultaneously
Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo said: "Migration broadens the opportunities available to individuals and is a crucial means of broadening access to resources and reducing poverty."
Nearly two-thirds of all international migrants live in Europe and Asia, with Europe hosting 72 million and Asia 71 million, the UN report said.
The new estimates found that developed countries north of the equator are home to 136 million international migrants, compared to 96 million in the developing south.
Between 1990 and 2013, the north gained a larger number of international migrants than the south. But since 2000, the growth in the south has been more rapid than in the north.
