There are approximately 57.5 million international migrants in the Americas; about 50 million in North America and 7.5 million in the other sub-regions. According to the United Nations Population Division, this corresponds to approximately 27 per cent of international migrants worldwide. Most Latin American States and the Caribbean have become net emigration countries; the migratory balance is negative by 6.8 million in Central America, by 3 million in South America and by 1.2 million in the Caribbean. Despite these strong flows from South to North, the movements from South to South have been increasing in recent years. Many of the countries in the region that were previously countries of only origin, transit or destination, nowadays share the three characteristics. The Americas are characterized by four general migration trends outlined below.