Philippines, Bangladesh push Asian migrant numbers to record high

6.93 million workers go abroad in 2023 as remittances hit $371.5 billion

Bangladeshi workers in Dhaka line up for air tickets to return to Saudi Arabia. Many South Asian migrants work in the Middle East. © AP

SHIGERU SENO, Nikkei senior staff writer

June 27, 2024 00:52 JST

TOKYO -- A record 6.93 million Asians newly migrated overseas for work in 2023, as more people from the Philippines, Bangladesh and other countries chase opportunities in advanced economies hungry for labor.

The data, compiled by the Asian Development Bank Institute, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and International Labour Organization, will be presented at a roundtable in Bangkok that starts Thursday.