MigrantoAfghan Diaspora
7.5M Afghans live abroad — 18% of the population of Afghanistan
Afghan diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 80% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Iran | 3752317 |
| Pakistan | 1923453 |
| Germany | 358767 |
| Turkey | 332053 |
| USA | 199252 |
| Saudi Arabia | 153258 |
| United Kingdom | 99398 |
| France | 89849 |
| Australia | 81506 |
| Sweden | 79353 |
| Canada | 70392 |
| Austria | 54204 |
| Belgium | 50906 |
| Greece | 48116 |
| Netherlands | 42853 |
| Switzerland | 24005 |
| Italy | 19207 |
| Norway | 19172 |
| India | 17646 |
| Denmark | 14440 |
| Tajikistan | 12467 |
| Kazakhstan | 8919 |
| Finland | 8262 |
| UAE | 7665 |
| Brazil | 7050 |
| New Zealand | 6706 |
| Japan | 6050 |
| Indonesia | 5979 |
| Ukraine | 4956 |
| Kuwait | 3094 |
| Israel | 2927 |
| South Africa | 2910 |
| Malaysia | 2906 |
| Russia | 2880 |
| Mexico | 2262 |
| Hungary | 2142 |
| Qatar | 1679 |
| China | 1569 |
| Azerbaijan | 1419 |
| Syria | 1179 |
| Bahrain | 772 |
| Colombia | 670 |
| Mali | 621 |
| Bulgaria | 586 |
| Luxembourg | 500 |
| Egypt | 486 |
| Libya | 359 |
| Iraq | 318 |
| Belarus | 274 |
| Slovakia | 211 |
| Turkmenistan | 197 |
| Ecuador | 173 |
| Iceland | 163 |
| Sri Lanka | 133 |
| Estonia | 66 |
| Nicaragua | 64 |
| Namibia | 47 |
| Lithuania | 43 |
| Latvia | 42 |
| Georgia | 41 |
| Slovenia | 41 |
| Cyprus | 6 |
| Liechtenstein | 6 |
| Costa Rica | 5 |
| Guinea | 1 |
| Bolivia | 1 |
By region
76% of the diaspora lives in Asia
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Key facts
The Afghan diaspora in numbers
The community in France is growing fastest
The number of Afghans living in France has grown 630% since 2015, from 12.3K to 89.8K.
Most Afghans abroad live in Iran
50% of the diaspora lives in Iran, while the next country accounts for just 26%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
8 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium. Germany climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
The diaspora has grown 31% since 2020
The number of Afghans living abroad rose from 5.7M to 7.5M in four years.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
98.8% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 76.1% today.
1 in 6 people born in Afghanistan lives abroad
7.5M people born in Afghanistan now live in other countries — 17.7% of a population of 42.6M.
Afghan diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 7477104 |
| 1995 | 4107724 |
| 2000 | 4544516 |
| 2005 | 3902699 |
| 2010 | 5074825 |
| 2015 | 5181002 |
| 2020 | 5729887 |
| 2024 | 7528994 |
Largest communities over time
Afghans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Iran | Pakistan | Germany | Turkey | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3980307 | 3374973 | 607 | 7147 | 26484 |
| 1995 | 2660518 | 1291867 | 8522 | 9904 | 13880 |
| 2000 | 2232283 | 2069977 | 21132 | 9620 | 41681 |
| 2005 | 2376348 | 1166210 | 46763 | 17982 | 56433 |
| 2010 | 2572558 | 1990641 | 77856 | 29314 | 58708 |
| 2015 | 2621236 | 1710378 | 101950 | 101893 | 80014 |
| 2020 | 2710601 | 1598223 | 265648 | 271641 | 135452 |
| 2024 | 3752317 | 1923453 | 358767 | 332053 | 199252 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Afghans in each country has changed since the selected year
Afghans among immigrants in other countries
Where Afghans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Afghans live outside Afghanistan?
Around 7.5M Afghans live abroad, the world's #9 largest diaspora.
Where do most Afghans abroad live?
Most Afghans live in Iran, Pakistan and Germany — these three countries account for about 80% of all Afghans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Afghan population outside Afghanistan?
Iran is home to the largest Afghan community abroad — 3.8M people, about 50% of all Afghans living abroad.
What share of the population of Afghanistan lives abroad?
About 18% of the population of Afghanistan lives abroad — that's 7.5M out of a total population of 42.6M.
Is the Afghan diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Afghans living abroad has grown from 5.2M to 7.5M, about 45%.
Where does the data on the Afghan diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Afghanistan who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Afghanistan
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