Migrant deaths and disappearances in the Americas, Digi Mart USA News (Americas): Deaths and disappearances of migrants in the Americas rose 50.1% between 2020 and 2025 compared with the previous six years, according to estimates from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which documents an increase in these incidents during migratory transit across the continent.
According to the data, 6,863 migrants died or disappeared between 2020 and 2025, compared with 4,573 recorded between 2014 and 2019. The largest increases occurred in South America, where cases grew 816%, and in the Caribbean, with a rise of 152.8%.
Although the distribution of incidents changed between the two periods, Mexico and the border with the United States continued to account for the largest share of migrant deaths and disappearances in the region. Between 2014 and 2019, this area accounted for 68.4% of cases recorded in the Americas, while for the 2020 to 2025 period the proportion was 52.2%.
The IOM estimates that between 2014 and 2025, at least 81,177 people in migratory transit died or disappeared worldwide. The year with the most incidents was 2024, with 9,197 cases.
In 2025, the figure fell 14.1% to 7,904.
The organization also identified changes in the global distribution of these incidents: records increased in Asia during 2024 and 2025, while in Africa the increase was observed in 2024.
Disappearances of migrants are also a problem in Mexico. Between December 31, 1952 and October 12, 2026, the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO) accumulated 411,932 records.
Of that total, 130,381 people remain missing or have not been located, according to the figures shared.
The records also include foreign nationals reported missing in Mexican territory. According to the data provided, 7,105 are foreign nationals, while in 19,166 cases the nationality has not been identified.
These figures show that the disappearance of migrants is not limited to international routes and is also part of the broader disappearance crisis facing Mexico.
