The Missing Migrants Project is a database website that tracks every migrant who has died while attempting to reach another country.
It also records those migrants whose whereabouts are unknown and whose status —alive or deceased—i s uncertain.
The project has been tracking the number of deaths and missing persons since 2014.
As many of the routes taken by migrants are dangerous and difficult to monitor, the real number may be underreported.
However, the data can give us an idea of the patterns of irregular migration. What is shown in this chart is the total number of incidents that involved one or more deaths, missing persons, or both.
In 2020, the number of deaths among migrants dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of travel restrictions.
But since then, fatalities and missing persons have increased. The highest number was recorded in August 2023, with 312 incidents reported worldwide.
The dataset categorizes the data according to the routes taken by migrants where the incidents occurred. This provides more context.
incidents that occurred in Europe represent the smallest group, with the highest number recorded in November 2021, with 24 incidents.
The second largest group by number of incidents consists of those crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
TThis group is distinct from those incidents occurring in Europe because they involve crossings by sea rather than land. The highest recorded incidents were before the pandemic, notably in October 2022 with 53 incidents.
In Asia, the number of incidents involving deaths or missing persons increased substantially after the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching 136 incidents in October 2023.
The largest group represents incidents that happened in the Americas, with most occurring between the US-Mexican border and, more recently, the Darien Gap.
