The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released new data showing that nearly 8,000 migrant deaths were recorded in 2025.

The figure comes from the agency's tracking of migrant fatalities and disappearances around the world. It represents one of the highest annual totals the organization has documented since it began systematically collecting this data.

IOM publishes these figures through its Missing Migrants Project, which compiles reports of people who have died or gone missing in the course of migration journeys. The project draws on official records, media reports, and information from civil society organizations.

The 2025 count of nearly 8,000 deaths underscores the persistent dangers faced by people moving across borders, whether by land routes, sea crossings, or in detention and transit settings.

Why the number matters

Each recorded death represents a person who left home in search of safety, work, or family reunification and did not survive the journey. Families of the missing often wait years without confirmation of what happened to their relatives.

IOM has repeatedly emphasized that its figures are likely an undercount. Many deaths occur on remote routes far from official monitoring, and bodies recovered at sea or in desert terrain frequently go unidentified.

What readers should watch next

The release of annual data typically prompts renewed calls from IOM and partner agencies for safer migration channels, expanded search-and-rescue operations, and better identification of the deceased. Governments and humanitarian organizations use the figures to target resources on the deadliest routes.

For migrants and their families, the data serves as a reminder of the risks attached to irregular journeys and the importance of understanding legal pathways before departure.

Readers seeking the underlying figures should consult IOM's official publications and the Missing Migrants Project database directly, as numbers are updated as new reports are verified.

Passport File will continue to monitor IOM's data releases and report on how governments respond to the trends they reveal.