According to the report, most migrants moved to countries with a higher standard of living. Every fifth emigrant lives in the USA. Nevertheless, a third of emigrants move to developing countries. In 2005, Europe hosted 34% of the 191 million emigrants, North America 23%, Asia 28%, Africa 9%, and Latin American countries and Oceania 3% each. Almost half of all emigrants in the world are women, and in developed countries there are more female emigrants than male.
Between 1990 and 2005, at least 5.3 million illegal immigrants in developed and developing countries managed to obtain legal status. Between 33% and 55% of highly educated citizens of Angola, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Tanzania live in developed countries; for Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the figure reaches 60%.
The volume of remittances sent by emigrants is growing. In 1995, emigrants sent $102 billion worldwide, while in 2005 the volume of remittances amounted to $232 billion. One third of remittances were received by recipients in India, China, Mexico, and France. Money sent to home countries by emigrants constitutes a significant portion of the income of the Philippines, Serbia and Montenegro, the report says.
"International migration, with proper support, can benefit the development of both the countries people emigrate from and the countries they arrive in," said the UN Secretary-General.