World's human migration patterns in 2000-2019 unveiled by high-resolution data

Abstract Despite being a top concern on global agenda, global-scale, high resolution quantification of net-migration and its major drivers, is still missing for recent decades. We created a global dataset of annual net-migration between 2000–2019 (~ 10km grid), based on reported and here-downscaled sub-national birth and death ratios. We show that globally, internal migration has increased rapidly, dominating over international migration. Around 50% of world’s urban population lived in urban areas where migration accelerated urban population growth, while a third of global population lived in provinces where rural areas experienced positive net-migration. Finally, we show that socio-economic factors play a more important role than climatic ones to explain the migration patterns globally. By capturing migration patterns not only between but also within countries, socio-economic and geophysical zonings, our study highlights the importance of sub-national analysis of migration – a necessity for policy design, international cooperation and shared responsibility for managing internal and international migration.