Tracks deaths of migrants, including refugees

Missing Migrants Project tracks incidents involving migrants, including refugees and asylum-seekers, who have died or gone missing in the process of migration towards an international destination.

Read more about our methodology
Reported Date
April 2014 98
April 2015 1,311
April 2016 745
April 2017 378
April 2018 228
August 2014 680
August 2015 863
August 2016 244
August 2017 420
December 2014 127
December 2015 569
December 2016 653
December 2017 227
February 2014 58
February 2015 412
February 2016 495
February 2017 402
February 2018 296
January 2014 27
January 2015 209
January 2016 595
January 2017 561
January 2018 410
July 2014 902
July 2015 297
July 2016 431
July 2017 388
June 2014 402
June 2015 121
June 2016 626
June 2017 827
June 2018 414
March 2014 320
March 2015 181
March 2016 575
March 2017 452
March 2018 157
May 2014 459
May 2015 346
May 2016 1,379
May 2017 806
May 2018 132
November 2014 96
November 2015 242
November 2016 940
November 2017 494
October 2014 209
October 2015 704
October 2016 705
October 2017 545
September 2014 836
September 2015 453
September 2016 501
September 2017 573
Note: Some data on migrant fatalities cover a period of several weeks or months. These cumulative data are not included in monthly totals.
Data represent minimum estimates.
Reported Date Region Group Region of Incident Number Dead Number Missing
2014 Africa Horn of Africa 182 83
2014 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 268 0
2014 Africa North Africa 28 62
2014 Americas Caribbean 31 42
2014 Americas Central America 116
2014 Americas US-Mexico Border 306 0
2014 Asia East Asia 9
2014 Asia South Asia 1 0
2014 Asia Southeast Asia 16 798
2014 Europe Europe 20 0
2014 Middle East Middle East 28 11
2014 Mediterranean Mediterranean 725 2558
2015 Africa Horn of Africa 102 33
2015 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 54 20
2015 Africa North Africa 763 62
2015 Americas Caribbean 33 35
2015 Americas Central America 101 0
2015 Americas South America 2
2015 Americas US-Mexico Border 336 3
2015 Asia East Asia 0 15
2015 Asia Southeast Asia 297 492
2015 Europe Europe 136
2015 Middle East Middle East 36
2015 Mediterranean Mediterranean 2176 1607
2016 Africa Horn of Africa 179 56
2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 90 2
2016 Africa North Africa 1353 151
2016 Americas Caribbean 22 93
2016 Americas Central America 180
2016 Americas South America 26 6
2016 Americas US-Mexico Border 397 4
2016 Asia East Asia 1 2
2016 Asia Southeast Asia 149 38
2016 Europe Europe 63
2016 Middle East Middle East 114
2016 Mediterranean Mediterranean 1484 3659
2017 Africa Horn of Africa 167 12
2017 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 479 74
2017 Africa North Africa 976
2017 Americas Caribbean 44 124
2017 Americas Central America 90 3
2017 Americas US-Mexico Border 406 9
2017 Americas North America 1
2017 Asia East Asia 1
2017 Asia South Asia 22
2017 Asia Southeast Asia 195 104
2017 Europe Europe 82 14
2017 Middle East Middle East 221
2017 Mediterranean Mediterranean 936 2203
2018 Africa Horn of Africa 102 16
2018 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 86 14
2018 Africa North Africa 46 5
2018 Americas Caribbean 6 13
2018 Americas Central America 29 3
2018 Americas South America 10
2018 Americas US-Mexico Border 121 3
2018 Asia East Asia 3
2018 Asia South Asia 4
2018 Asia Southeast Asia 37 9
2018 Asia Central Asia 52
2018 Europe Europe 40 1
2018 Middle East Middle East 69 3
2018 Mediterranean Mediterranean 391 581
Reported Date Region Region of Origin Number Dead Number Missing
2015 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean (P) 316 1
2018 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean (P) 101 6
2017 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean (P) 317 4
2016 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean (P) 311 1
2014 Americas Latin America and the Caribbean (P) 294 0
2018 Asia Southeast Asia 39 9
2016 Asia Southeast Asia 149 38
2017 Asia Southeast Asia 196 104
2015 Asia Southeast Asia 297 492
2014 Asia Southeast Asia 12 794
2014 Asia East Asia 5 9
2016 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 401 936
2014 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 596 783
2015 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 201 992
2017 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 462 636
2018 Africa Sub-Saharan Africa 166 136
2017 Africa Horn of Africa 321 12
2018 Africa Horn of Africa 2
2015 Africa Horn of Africa 665 33
2014 Africa Horn of Africa 196 363
2016 Africa Horn of Africa 1311 81
2014 Africa North Africa 4 0
2018 Africa North Africa 25 15
2016 Africa North Africa 175 31
2017 Africa North Africa 91 14
2015 Africa North Africa 43 1
2015 Asia South Asia 81 7
2018 Asia South Asia 24
2016 Asia South Asia 49 30
2017 Asia South Asia 179
2014 Asia South Asia 34 15
2017 Americas South America 7 1
2015 Americas South America 14
2014 Americas South America 1
2018 Americas South America 12 13
2016 Americas South America 4 19
2016 Middle East Middle East South Asia (P) 242 54
2017 Middle East Middle East South Asia (P) 1
2015 Middle East Middle East South Asia (P) 393 102
2018 Middle East Middle East South Asia (P) 33 3
2014 Middle East Middle East and South Asia 1
2018 Middle East Middle East and South Asia 17
2018 Middle East Middle East 62 4
2014 Middle East Middle East 75 257
2016 Middle East Middle East 153 22
2015 Middle East Middle East 276 124
2017 Middle East Middle East 110
2017 Africa Horn of Africa (P) 142
2018 Africa Horn of Africa (P) 139 16
2014 Europe Europe 1 0
2015 Asia East Asia (P) 0 15
2015 Americas Central America 105 2
2018 Americas Central America 44
2016 Americas Central America 228 3
2017 Americas Central America 147 4
2014 Americas Central America 125 0
2017 Americas Caribbean 43 124
2018 Americas Caribbean 5
2016 Americas Caribbean 43 59
2014 Americas Caribbean 33 42
2015 Americas Caribbean 32 35
2017 Mixed/Unknown Unknown 1533 932
2016 Mixed/Unknown Unknown 503 140
2014 Mixed/Unknown Unknown 327 562
2018 Mixed/Unknown Unknown 162 300
2015 Mixed/Unknown Unknown 652 129
2018 Mixed/Unknown Mixed 119 146
2014 Mixed/Unknown Mixed 17 738
2017 Mixed/Unknown Mixed 71 712
2015 Mixed/Unknown Mixed 961 334
2018 Asia Central Asia 52
2016 Mixed/Unknown Mixed 609 2597
Note: (P) indicates that the region of origin is presumed.
Data represent minimum estimates.

Top causes of death recorded in 2018

Mediterranean

Drowning
Deaths: 444
Presumed drowning
Deaths: 451
Unknown
Deaths: 69
Cardiac arrest
Deaths: 3
Hypothermia
Deaths: 3

Europe

Vehicle Accident
Deaths: 12
Drowning
Deaths: 11
Presumed drowning
Deaths: 4
Unknown
Deaths: 3
Violence
Deaths: 2

Middle East

Hypothermia
Deaths: 22
Vehicle Accident
Deaths: 20
Shot
Deaths: 17
frostbite
Deaths: 16
Drowning
Deaths: 4

Africa

Vehicle Accident
Deaths: 20
Shot
Deaths: 15
Drowning
Deaths: 13
Malnutrition
Deaths: 7
Hypothermia
Deaths: 7

Asia

Bus fire
Deaths: 52
Presumed drowning
Deaths: 3
Vehicle Accident
Deaths: 30
Drowning
Deaths: 4
Starvation
Deaths: 10

Americas

Unknown (skeletal remains)
Deaths: 46
Drowning
Deaths: 32
Unknown
Deaths: 15
Exposure
Deaths: 7
Vehicle Accident
Deaths: 6
Note: Data represent minimum estimates.

Regions in focus

Spotlight on the Mediterranean
Europe
Spotlight on the Middle East
Africa
Asia
Americas

Publications

Fatal Journeys Volume 3: Improving data on Missing Migrants (Part 2)
Fatal Journeys Volume 3: Improving Data on Missing Migrants (Part 1)
Measuring unsafe migration: The challenge of collecting accurate data on migrant fatalities
The Central Mediterranean route: Migrant Fatalities January 2014 - July 2017

view more publications

 

https://www.iom.int            https://gmdac.iom.int/            https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

 

Missing Migrants Project by International Organization for Migration (IOM) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This means that Missing Migrants Project website content is free to share and adapt, as long as the appropriate attribution is given. Missing Migrants Project is made possible by funding by UK Aid from the Government of the United Kingdom; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the Government of the United Kingdom’s official policies.