The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supported 17.8 million people across 170 countries and territories in 2025, according to its Annual Report released today on the margins of the 38th Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (SCPF), highlighting its response during a year marked by record displacement and growing humanitarian needs.
"2025 was a year of immense challenges, but also of extraordinary resolve," said IOM Director General Amy Pope. "From helping families displaced by conflict and disaster to supporting communities rebuilding after crisis, IOM remained focused on delivering practical solutions for people on the move and the communities that host them. The results captured in this report demonstrate both the scale of today's needs and what can be achieved when governments, partners and communities work together."
By the end of 2025, 82.2 million people were internally displaced worldwide, while more than 7,900 migrants lost their lives along migration routes, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated international action.
Despite mounting humanitarian needs and significant funding pressures across the aid sector, IOM continued to deliver on its three strategic objectives: saving lives and protecting people on the move, driving solutions to displacement and facilitating pathways for regular migration.
Among the report's key achievements, IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), the world's largest source of primary data on displacement and mobility, operated in 76 countries and assessed 166.3 million people, informing 95 per cent of humanitarian needs and response plans developed in 2025.
A major milestone in 2025 saw IOM become global co-lead of the Shelter, Land and Site Coordination Cluster alongside IFRC, strengthening coordinated responses to displacement crises worldwide. During the year, IOM's shelter and settlements programmes also reached 7.3 million people in 88 countries and territories, providing safer living conditions, essential services and support to rebuild lives.
The Organization continued to provide life-saving assistance across some of the world's most complex emergencies. In Sudan, where conflict has triggered one of the largest displacement crises globally, IOM became the first United Nations agency to resume operations in Khartoum and reached more than 1.1 million people with humanitarian, resilience and recovery assistance.
Health remained central to IOM's response, with more than 4.1 million health consultations delivered in crisis settings and mental health and psychosocial support reaching 1.5 million people in 99 countries. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene programmes reached 5.1 million people, while protection services supported over 1.5 million people across 64 countries.
The report also highlights progress in advancing solutions to displacement. As inaugural chair of the Solutions Champions Group, IOM worked with governments and United Nations partners to translate commitments under the Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement into practical action. Through these efforts, more than 16.8 million people accessed pathways towards durable solutions.
As climate impacts intensified, IOM strengthened resilience for nearly one million people exposed to disaster displacement across 34 countries and supported governments in integrating mobility considerations into disaster preparedness and response planning.
The Organization also expanded opportunities for safe and regular migration. In 2025, IOM supported more than 147 governments in strengthening migration governance and helped nearly 625,000 migrants access labour and study opportunities through skills mobility partnerships.
Innovation and digital transformation continued to strengthen IOM's operations. The Organization launched a global artificial intelligence upskilling programme, with more than 5,000 staff completing training, while AI-enabled health screening initiatives expanded access to tuberculosis diagnostics in East Africa.
The report also highlights the importance of flexible funding at a time of growing global needs. Through the Resilience Campaign launched in 2025, IOM secured support from 20 Member States, one federal state government, and two private sector entities, helping sustain critical operations worldwide. With a global portfolio of USD 2.95 billion and more than 15,800 staff, IOM continued to save lives, support recovery, and help people move safely and with dignity.
The full Annual Report 2025 is available on IOM's website .
