World Comparison
World Comparison is a data page on the Immigration desk of Glassbox Auditing. The U.S. beside its allies, partners, rivals and other big immigration countries: net migration, the migrant population, ageing, admission routes, temporary migration, immigrants' jobs and foreign students. Migration is what keeps working-age populations growing as countries age.
Last updated: .
What is on this page today?
- United States: 3.6 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -0.2 on 2024 — #10 of 25 countries compared · average since 1969: 3.9 · the latest years are modelled and get revised (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Canada: 7.8 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -1.1 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Ireland: 6.5 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -0.8 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Netherlands: 5.8 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -1.0 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- United Kingdom: 5.6 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -0.4 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Norway: 5.3 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -2.6 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Australia: 5.0 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -0.1 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- Sweden: 4.4 net migrants per 1,000 residents in 2025, -0.3 on 2024 — United States: 3.6 (UN Population Division (World Population Prospects), 30 Dec 2025)
- 15.2% of U.S. residents were born abroad in 2024, #16 of 25 countries compared; Saudi Arabia leads with 40.3% — 14.9% in 2020 · UN estimates, published every five years · bars: the five highest (UN Population Division (International Migrant Stock), 30 Dec 2024)
- The U.S. admitted 4.2 permanent immigrants per 1,000 residents in 2024, #21 of 29 countries compared; Luxembourg admitted 38.9 — 1,425,060 people: family 61%, work 13%, humanitarian 17% · 3.5 in 2023 · OECD standardised inflows · bars: the five highest (OECD, 30 Dec 2024)
- Seasonal workers were 36% and international students 32% of the 1,232,601 temporary permits and visas the U.S. issued in 2024, -3% on 2023 — share of the U.S. total by type · permits are counted differently across countries, so the mix within a country compares better than levels between them (OECD, 30 Dec 2024)
- Working-age immigrants in the U.S. were employed at a rate 2.4 points above the U.S.-born in 2024 (72.7% against 70.3%), #13 of 36 countries compared — widest gap: Chile +14.3 points · +3.0 points in 2023 · bars: the five widest · unemployment 4.3% foreign-born, 4.1% native-born (OECD, 30 Dec 2024)
- International students were 11.1% of master's enrolment in the U.S. in 2024, #29 of 42 countries compared; Luxembourg had 77.6% — 12.6% five years earlier · bachelor's 3.7%, doctoral 39.8% · bars: the five highest (OECD (Education at a Glance), 30 Dec 2024)
Where does the data come from?
Items on this page come from UN Population Division (World Population Prospects); UN Population Division (International Migrant Stock); OECD; OECD (Education at a Glance). Each item links to its own source. All sources, how items are checked.
What does this page lead to?
- Economies & Debt (World Powers): Net migration props up the working-age share in ageing economies; countries with little of it (Japan, South Korea, China) see their workforces shrink sooner, which weighs on growth and public finances. (moves the same way; years; global scale) Source: World Bank World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
- H-1B & Talent (Immigration): Canada, the U.K. and Australia run points-based or faster skilled-visa routes, so when U.S. H-1B rules tighten, employers can place hires in those countries instead. (either way, depending on the cause; years; sector scale) Source: OECD International Migration Database (CC BY 4.0).
- Elections & Polls (World Powers): Migration is a leading election issue across Europe and North America, and parties campaigning for lower immigration have gained in recent national votes. (either way, depending on the cause; months; global scale) Source: Wikipedia election pages: races, forecasters' ratings, polls (CC BY-SA).
- Labor Market (Macro): CBO projects U.S. deaths to exceed births in the early 2030s, which leaves net migration as the only source of population growth and most of labour-force growth. (moves the same way; years; economy scale) Source: Congressional Budget Office (budget categories).
What feeds this page?
- Organized Violence (Global Intelligence): Refugees from long wars settle mostly in neighbouring countries and in Europe, adding to the migrant inflows World Comparison counts, as Syrians did in Turkey and Germany after 2015. (moves the same way; years; global scale) Source: OECD International Migration Database (CC BY 4.0).
- Global Data (Global Intelligence): Countries whose working-age populations are shrinking, such as Japan, Germany and South Korea, tend to admit more foreign workers to fill jobs. (moves the same way; years; global scale) Source: OECD International Migration Database (CC BY 4.0).