ABSTRACT
This chapter sets the case-study countries of Chapters 5–11 in a wider context. It does so by presenting evidence on migration levels and trends for a wider range of countries across the world using data prepared by the IMAGE project. It focusses primarily on the first decade of the twenty-first century but draws on earlier data where it is available. It finds that North America and Oceania have the highest migration intensities but that the picture in Europe is mixed. Countries with the highest levels of income tend to have the highest intensities. Declining migration intensities appear to be universal across North America and Oceania, but they are also common in Latin America and, Asia, and even in Africa. They are therefore not confined to just high-income countries. There is no evidence to suggest that falling intensities are just a product of advanced economic development.
