Source: UNEP (2018): The UNEP Environmental Data Explorer, compiled from World Population Prospects, the 2012 Revision (WPP2012), United Nations Population Division. United Nations Environment Programme.
Net migration is the difference between immigration and emigration. A positive number implies that more people are immigrating than emigrating. The factors behind these migrations are complex, but a negative net migration is generally associated with negative economic, social, and political conditions, inciting people to seek opportunities and a better quality of life elsewhere.
The global net migration pattern underlines that North America and Western Europe remain the most prevalent immigration destinations. The Middle East, particularly the United Arab Emirates, has also been a destination. The net providers of immigrants remain Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, a pattern that has endured over the last two decades. There are also geopolitical events impacting migration. For instance, the Syrian civil war incited migration out of Syria towards adjacent countries, particularly Turkey.