Deaths of migrants on the Central Mediterranean Sea 2021

In 2020, almost one thousand migrants died by crossing the Central Mediterranean route. The Mediterranean Sea recorded worldwide the largest number of deaths and missing cases of people who migrated. In particular, the Central Mediterranean Sea registered the highest number of fatalities.
Between January and September 2021, over one thousand people were estimated to have died in the attempt to cross the Central Mediterranean route.
2016 was the year in which the number of deaths on the Central Mediterranean Route peaked. In fact, about 4.6 thousand migrants died in the Central Mediterranean Sea in 2016. This route includes the crossing from North Africa to Italy, and Malta. The main departing country is Libya, while Tunisia, Egypt, and East Algeria represent minor departing shores.

Number of recorded deaths of migrants on the Central Mediterranean Route from 2014 to 2021

Characteristic	Number of deaths
2021*	1,114
2020	983
2019	1,262
2018	1,314
2017	2,853
2016	4,581
2015	3,149
2014	3,165

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Release date

September 2021

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Region

Europe, MENA

Survey time period

2014 to September 2021

Supplementary notes

September 16, 2021
The Missing Migrants Project counts migrants who have died in the attempt to migrate to a country different from their country of residence. The count does not include the deaths of people occurred in immigration detention centers as well as deaths occurred after the deportation to the homeland. In addition, the project does not count the deaths of migrants occurred as a result of labor exploitation.

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