Migration is a highly complex social phenomenon and migration decisions depend on a variety of social, political and economic factors. Researchers from IIASA and Wittgenstein Centre published the Fact Sheet Migration, providing information about the challenges, that might be confronted for a successful adaptation.
The public discourse on migration is usually simplified and limited to the potentially large migration flows that are triggered by armed conflicts and wars, and economic deprivation. For a social and political debate, it is necessary to understand the reasons for migration, characteristics of the population groups that migrate and the consequences of migration in the country of origin and destination.
News
16 June 2026
Peking University and IIASA advance plans for a new Centre on Global Change and Health
On 28 May, Peking University (PKU) and IIASA held a joint online seminar to discuss health research under global change and to review the progress, priorities, and coordination arrangements for a proposed Centre on Global Change and Health.
10 June 2026
Annual global migration has nearly tripled since 2000
Global migration has risen sharply from approximately 13 million people per year in 2000 to around 35 million people per year in 2023. This is according to a new dataset on human migration published in Nature by researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), IIASA, and the University of Hong Kong.
09 June 2026
Life after work: Why social connections matter
Social networks may help protect cognitive functioning in later life, particularly among older adults who are no longer working, according to a new IIASA-led study. Drawing on data from 27 European countries, the researchers found that social connections can help compensate for the loss of mentally stimulating interactions linked to work, with different types of relationships benefiting women and men.