World: More than 4,400 children died on migration journeys between 2014 and 2025

Geneva/Berlin, 13 October – At least 4,414 children died during migration journeys worldwide between 2014 and 2025, and the true number is likely much higher, according to a new report by the Missing Migrants Project of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), supported by the International Data Alliance for Children on the Move (IDAC). Over the same period, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project recorded almost 81,000 migrant deaths and disappearances worldwide. Yet more than half of these records, 44,862 cases or 55.5 per cent, contain no information on age or age group. This means that an unknown number of children may be missing from the overall death toll. On the Central Mediterranean Route, for example, children accounted for 19 per cent of arrivals in Italy and Malta in 2024 but only 2 per cent of recorded deaths, highlighting gaps in demographic data and the extent to which child migrant deaths may remain invisible. “Every child who dies on a migration journey deserves to be counted, yet too many are missing from the data,” said Stuart Campo, Chief Strategy Officer for IOM’s Department of Data, Insight and Policy. “We cannot protect children from dangers we cannot see. Working with our fellow Secretariat members and partners in IDAC, we can close these gaps and give governments the evidence they need to save lives.” Children are often the least visible in migration data, even though they face a heightened risk of exploitation and other rights violations. Their deaths go uncounted in two ways. The “missing figure” refers to children whose deaths during migration are never recorded at all, while the “hidden figure” refers to deaths that are documented but lack the information needed to identify the person as a child. This especially affects teenagers, who may be mistakenly recorded as adults, leaving policymakers with limited evidence about the distinct risks children face during migration journeys. Together, these gaps mean that existing data almost certainly understate the scale of child deaths. Official records, such as those from medical examiners and law enforcement agencies, offer the most complete details on age, yet they account for only 18 per cent of all migrant deaths recorded by the Missing Migrants Project and just 820 of the 4,414 documented child deaths. Most other records come from humanitarian organizations, media reports and the testimonies of survivors and witnesses. The report calls on States to strengthen the documentation of migrant deaths, especially those of children. This means systematically recording the age and migration status of those who die, and improving data sharing among law enforcement, medical examiners and humanitarian organizations, while respecting data protection principles. It also recommends further testing of transparent, peer-reviewed statistical methods to estimate deaths that go unrecorded. “Continued advancements in data methods are essential to protecting the rights of children on the move,” said Marzia Rango, Migration and Displacement Programme Manager at UNICEF and IDAC Coordinator. “Not only can these help provide a clearer picture of the risks these children face, but also where action is most urgently needed. When new methods are used, however, we need to be clear about what they can – and cannot – tell us and ensure that child rights are safeguarded at all times.” The International Data Alliance for Children on the Move (IDAC) is a global coalition working to improve data on migrant and displaced children and support evidence-based policymaking. Jointly led by Eurostat, IOM, OECD, UNHCR and UNICEF, with UNICEF as Secretariat Chair and the European Union as its main donor, IDAC brings together governments, international organizations, civil society, academics and youth. Read the report: Documenting the Deaths of Child Migrants Explore IOM Missing Migrants Project data: https://missingmigrants.iom.int/data Learn more about IDAC: https://www.dataforchildrenonthemove.org/ For more information, please visit IOM’s Media Centre. IDAC media contact: Marzia Rango, mrango@unicef.org