Research Insights: How Does Internal Migration Shape Urban Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean?

While international migration in Latin America and the Caribbean surged over 80% between 2015 and 2020, internal migration remains the key driver of urban growth. Internal migrants choose a variety of urban areas, not only major cities. The share of internal migrants in the local population is relatively even across cities of varying sizes. Because institutional capacity to implement effective policies in response to migrant inflows varies across cities, some local governments may require additional support from other levels of government to seize the opportunities and address the challenges of urban migration.