The 3^rd edition of the labour migration statistics report in Africa was launched on 18^th November 2021 as a joint production of the African Union Commission, the International Labour Organisation, the International Organisation on Migration, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and Statistics Sweden, under the Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa (JLMP).

The availability of labour migration data for analysis is key to the development of evidence-based policies.

International migration, a highly dynamic phenomenon in general, has been on the rise within Africa. Analysis of the data in the Migration Database of the African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC) indicates that, in 2019, there were 26.3 million international migrants in Africa, an increase from 17.2 million in 2010 which translates to a 4.8 per cent average annual growth rate. Movement across national borders to search for work is one of the key drivers of international migration. This is witnessed by the fact that, in 2017, migrant workers made up approximately 59 per cent of the world’s international migrant population2 (ILO 2018a, 5). Significantly, 77 per cent of international migration in Africa in 2019 occurred among people of working-age, that is persons aged 15 years and older, according to the data in the STATAFRIC Migration Database.

Compared with previous editions, this edition of the Report provides policymakers with more detailed information at the national, regional and continental level on various aspects of labour migration, including the governance of migration, and how to promote synergies between migration and sustainable development.

See the full report at https://au.int/en/documents/20211118/report-labour-migration-statistics-africa-third-edition-2019