MigrantoBangladeshi Diaspora
8.7M Bangladeshis live abroad — the #7 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 65% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2362680 |
| India | 2293959 |
| UAE | 1024949 |
| Oman | 737087 |
| Kuwait | 406077 |
| USA | 357581 |
| United Kingdom | 298666 |
| Malaysia | 282437 |
| Qatar | 274697 |
| Italy | 179289 |
| Bahrain | 103283 |
| Canada | 79033 |
| Australia | 64969 |
| Maldives | 43282 |
| South Africa | 30637 |
| Lebanon | 30406 |
| Japan | 28989 |
| Jordan | 26252 |
| Spain | 21104 |
| Sweden | 15502 |
| Mauritius | 8488 |
| Denmark | 4525 |
| China | 3569 |
| Finland | 3511 |
| New Zealand | 3499 |
| Belgium | 3070 |
| Greece | 3029 |
| Portugal | 1894 |
| Cyprus | 1620 |
| Norway | 1480 |
| Brunei | 1439 |
| Fiji | 1425 |
| Libya | 1410 |
| Myanmar | 1102 |
| Brazil | 811 |
| Egypt | 762 |
| Bulgaria | 741 |
| Sri Lanka | 680 |
| Hong Kong | 478 |
| Mexico | 400 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 374 |
| Hungary | 288 |
| Estonia | 268 |
| Seychelles | 227 |
| Nepal | 214 |
| Luxembourg | 164 |
| North Korea | 156 |
| Panama | 78 |
| East Timor | 66 |
| Bhutan | 55 |
| Lithuania | 46 |
| Malta | 38 |
| Namibia | 34 |
| Bolivia | 33 |
| Slovakia | 23 |
| Slovenia | 23 |
| Iceland | 18 |
| Latvia | 14 |
| Liechtenstein | 6 |
| El Salvador | 6 |
| Costa Rica | 4 |
| Guinea | 0 |
By destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 57%
5M
2.7M
533.7K
436.6K
70.3K
41.6K
1.3K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Bangladesh.
Japan is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Japan has increased by 175% since 2015, rising from 10.5K to 29K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 80% to 27%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to Asia has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Asia has shifted from 82% to 30.5% since 1990.
Saudi Arabia is the primary destination for emigrants
Saudi Arabia attracts 27% of all emigrants from Bangladesh, while the second-largest destination receives just 26%.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 5076540 |
| 1995 | 5266258 |
| 2000 | 5287858 |
| 2005 | 5198991 |
| 2010 | 6221642 |
| 2015 | 7883873 |
| 2020 | 8085347 |
| 2024 | 8706947 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Saudi Arabia | India | UAE | Oman | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 244707 | 4061412 | 154362 | 170050 | 124630 |
| 1995 | 335423 | 3962322 | 216463 | 173876 | 111619 |
| 2000 | 351570 | 3750017 | 288689 | 177789 | 134755 |
| 2005 | 481958 | 3270309 | 401200 | 196401 | 177722 |
| 2010 | 993917 | 2801919 | 684306 | 259339 | 257660 |
| 2015 | 2080864 | 2604674 | 861853 | 590082 | 319026 |
| 2020 | 2120004 | 2429312 | 902689 | 570123 | 370340 |
| 2024 | 2362680 | 2293959 | 1024949 | 737087 | 406077 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Bangladesh as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Bangladesh
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Bangladeshis move to?
Most Bangladeshis have moved to Saudi Arabia, India and UAE — these three countries account for about 65% of all Bangladeshis living abroad.
How many Bangladeshis live abroad?
Around 8.7M Bangladeshis live abroad, making it the #7-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Bangladesh lives abroad?
About 5% of the population of Bangladesh lives abroad — that's 8.7M out of a total population of 173.6M.
How has emigration from Bangladesh changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Bangladesh has grown from 7.9M to 8.7M people, a growth of about 10%.
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