List of countries by estimated irregular migrant population
This is a list of countries by estimated numbers of irregular migrants, unauthorized immigrants, undocumented immigrants, or foreign nationals residing without regular immigration status.
List
Rank |
Country |
Estimated irregular |
Year |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
14,000,000 |
2023 |
Pew Research Center estimate. |
|
2 |
3,500,000 |
2026 |
Midpoint of reported estimate of 2–5 million undocumented migrants. |
|
3 |
1,100,000 |
2017 |
Midpoint of Pew estimate of 1.0–1.2 million. |
|
4 |
1,000,000 |
2017 |
Midpoint of Pew estimate of 800,000–1.2 million. |
|
5 |
900,000 |
2023 |
Approximate figure based on Peru's interior minister stating that about 60% of 1.5 million foreigners in Peru were in irregular immigration status. |
|
6 |
600,000 |
2017 |
Midpoint of Pew estimate of 500,000–700,000. |
|
7 |
518,000 |
2023 |
Number of undocumented migrants issued work permits under Malaysia's RTK 2.0 programme as of October 2023. |
|
8 |
500,000 |
2024 |
Canadian government briefing note stated estimates suggest there could be as many as 500,000 undocumented migrants in Canada. |
|
9 |
500,000 |
2023 |
UNHCR reported that around 500,000 Venezuelans in Colombia were in an irregular situation. |
|
10 |
430,000 |
2019 |
Midpoint of porCausa estimate of 390,000–470,000 irregular immigrants. |
|
11 |
350,000 |
2017 |
Midpoint of Pew estimate of 300,000–400,000. |
|
12 |
336,984 |
2023 |
Estimate of people living in Chile without regular status. |
|
13 |
300,000 |
2017 |
Approximate estimate based on European unauthorized migrant estimates. |
|
14 |
182,000 |
2022 |
Estimate based on detected or recorded irregular migrant population figures; definitions differ from residence-based estimates. |
|
15 |
100,000 |
2017 |
Approximate estimate based on European unauthorized migrant estimates. |
See also
- Irregular migration
- Illegal immigration
- Immigration
- Human migration
- Foreign-born population