Recently, a new report from the U.S. think tank Pew Research Center shows that China has risen to 4th place in the ranking of countries of origin for emigrants and is also the second-largest recipient of remittances globally. China has climbed from 7th place 23 years ago to 4th in the emigrant source country rankings, with the number of emigrants increasing from 4.1 million to 9.2 million, trailing only India (14.2 million), Mexico (13.2 million), and Russia (10.8 million).
The report indicates that the total number of international migrants increased from 154 million in 1990 to 232 million in 2013, reaching a historical high, though the growth rate relative to global population growth remained unchanged at 3%.
Phillip Connor, the author of the survey report, pointed out: “Migrants are not only working hard abroad but are also actively climbing the social ladder. People from low-income countries have been the main force of migration over the past 25 years, while the number of middle-class migrants is currently increasing.”
According to the analysis, 7 out of every 10 global migrants live in high-income countries (countries with a per capita income of $12,616 or higher), most of which are in North America and Europe, totaling 160 million people. These migrants are primarily seeking economic opportunities.
In addition, global migrants send $550 billion in remittances to their families back home each year, with India and China being the countries that receive the most. World Bank data shows that in 2013, India and China received $71 billion and $60.2 billion in remittances, respectively, ranking first and second among middle-income countries.