KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Nearly 8,000 migrants died or went missing worldwide in 2025 while attempting dangerous journeys in search of safety or better opportunities, with Afghans and Rohingya among the most affected groups, the International Organization for Migration said.
The figure brings the total number of migrant deaths and disappearances recorded by the IOM since 2014 to more than 82,000.
Maria Moita, Director of the IOM’s Department of Humanitarian Response and Recovery, told reporters in Geneva that the data indicated a worsening global situation. “More deaths than ever were recorded in Asia, with hundreds of Rohingya people and Afghans among those affected,” Maria said.
Moita said migration pressures had not eased, but the routes people use had changed as a result of conflict, climate shocks, labour demand and policy shifts. “What we are seeing instead is that routes are changing,” she added. “Some established routes have seen fewer arrivals, but journeys have often become longer, more fragmented, and increasingly dangerous.”
The recorded 2025 total was lower than the 9,197 migrant deaths documented globally in 2024, according to Andrea Garcia, a data analyst with the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.
Garcia cautioned, however, that the apparent decline does not necessarily mean fewer people died. The drop largely reflects gaps in available data and difficulties in verifying many cases, she said. She added that an estimated 1,500 additional deaths or disappearances were believed to have occurred in 2025 but were not included in official figures due to insufficient evidence.
The Central Mediterranean Sea remained the deadliest migration route last year, the IOM said, while deaths in the Bay of Bengal rose for a third consecutive year.
Land routes used by Afghans leaving Afghanistan also ranked among the most dangerous, with migrants exposed to exploitation, violence, and harsh conditions along irregular routes.
Thousands of Afghans continue to leave the country each year amid economic hardship, insecurity, and restrictions following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Many travel through Iran and Turkey in attempts to reach Europe.
The IOM has previously reported that nearly eight million Afghans have left the country since 2020, most to neighboring countries, while about one million have sought refuge in Europe.
