Mobility Patterns in the Americas
Mapping mobility in the Americas through administrative data
Human mobility across the Americas is shaped by a complex set of interrelated drivers. Many countries in the region, particularly in Central and South America, have experienced political and economic instability, structural inequality, as well as violence. These factors, combined with recurring environmental shocks and shifting policy landscapes, contribute to diverse and overlapping migration patterns, including transit, circular, and irregular flows. Given the scale and complexity of these movements, monitoring them remains a considerable challenge. Nevertheless, the data landscape in the Americas is rich, with administrative and international data available across a variety of issues and countries. Standardized and comparable migration statistics aren’t always readily available, however, limiting the capacity of governments and humanitarian actors to respond effectively to emerging needs and trends, or to plan for migration management and response.
To help close this gap, IOM's Lighthouse Programme (Comprehensive Data Initiative in the Americas, implemented with the support of the United States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration) deploys efforts to improve the accessibility, comparability, and use of migration data across the Americas. One of the programme’s core workstreams focuses on consolidating and harmonizing administrative data already collected by governments—namely border entries and exits—into a unified regional dataset. While these data sources were not originally designed for migration trend analysis, when systematically compiled, they offer critical insights into the movements of people across the region over time. The consolidated administrative dataset developed under the Lighthouse Programme represents builds on previous IOM regional efforts and leverages current initiatives to present comprehensive and timely mobility data. It brings together temporally disaggregated data by nationality, enabling regional month-by-month analysis of cross-border mobility across a growing number of countries in the Americas. The data is sourced from official government websites and publicly accessible platforms, with some data shared directly with IOM under agreements that grant permission for their use in analysis and reporting.
This is an ongoing and expanding initiative, with additional countries and data sources being integrated into the consolidated dataset on a rolling basis as part of IOM’s broader commitment to improving migration data availability in the region.
