Migrant worker outflows from Asia dropped 7% in 2024 to around 6.5 million, marking the first decline since the pandemic year of 2020, according to Nikkei, citing the “Labor Migration in Asia” report published by the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Labour Organization.
The fall reflects tighter regulations in key host countries such as Oman and Malaysia. Despite this, inflows to Japan and other East Asian economies continue to rise, signaling growing competition for migrant labor amid persistent demographic challenges.
The 2024 decline followed a record peak in 2023, though last year’s figure was still the second-highest ever recorded. More than half of Asian migrant workers went to Middle Eastern Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Saudi Arabia, in particular, saw a surge in demand for construction workers linked to infrastructure projects.
The Philippines remained the largest source of migrant labor, sending 2.47 million workers overseas. Sri Lanka, grappling with an economic and fiscal crisis, recorded a historic high of more than 310,000 workers abroad. But steep reductions in outflows from Bangladesh and Pakistan dragged down the overall total. Oman suspended Bangladeshi entries in late 2023 over visa abuses, while the UAE sharply cut back on workers from Pakistan.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia was a major contributor to the regional slowdown. Authorities temporarily stopped accepting workers from 15 countries in 2024, citing human rights concerns over Bangladeshi migrants. The lapse of a bilateral labor agreement with Nepal further reduced inflows, though workers from Indonesia and the Philippines continued to fill some of the gaps.
Meanwhile, East Asia is seeing robust growth in foreign labor. Japan hosted 2.3 million foreign workers by October 2024, according to its health ministry, while South Korea reached about 1 million, with many on nonprofessional “E-9” visas employed in manufacturing and small businesses. Taiwan reported 770,000 foreign workers in 2024 and signed a new agreement with India to boost manufacturing labor. Hong Kong also attracted more migrants, particularly skilled workers from mainland China.
Remittances from Asian migrant workers continued to expand, surpassing $370 billion in 2023—over 40% of the global total. In Nepal, where such transfers account for more than 20% of GDP, a recent ban on social media triggered mass protests and the resignation of the prime minister, highlighting the social and political impact of labor migration.
