MigrantoBangladeshi Diaspora
8.7M Bangladeshis live abroad — 5% of the population of Bangladesh
Bangladeshi diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 65% of the diaspora
| 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 region
57% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Bangladeshi diaspora in numbers
The community in Japan is growing fastest
The number of Bangladeshis living in Japan has grown 175% since 2015, from 10.5K to 29K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 80% to 27%.
The share of the diaspora living in Asia has declined since 1990
82% of the diaspora lived in Asia in 1990, compared with 30.5% today.
Most Bangladeshis abroad live in Saudi Arabia
27% of the diaspora lives in Saudi Arabia, while the next country accounts for just 26%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: South Africa, Jordan, Spain. South Africa climbed from outside the top 20 to #15.
1 in 20 people born in Bangladesh lives abroad
8.7M people born in Bangladesh now live in other countries — 5.0% of a population of 173.6M.
Bangladeshi diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 5076540 |
| 1995 | 5266258 |
| 2000 | 5287858 |
| 2005 | 5198991 |
| 2010 | 6221642 |
| 2015 | 7883873 |
| 2020 | 8085347 |
| 2024 | 8706947 |
Largest communities over time
Bangladeshis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Bangladeshis in each country has changed since the selected year
Bangladeshis among immigrants in other countries
Where Bangladeshis 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 Bangladeshis live outside Bangladesh?
Around 8.7M Bangladeshis live abroad, the world's #7 largest diaspora.
Where do most Bangladeshis abroad live?
Most Bangladeshis live in Saudi Arabia, India and UAE — these three countries account for about 65% of all Bangladeshis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Bangladeshi population outside Bangladesh?
Saudi Arabia is home to the largest Bangladeshi community abroad — 2.4M people, about 27% of all Bangladeshis living abroad.
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.
Is the Bangladeshi diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Bangladeshis living abroad has grown from 7.9M to 8.7M, about 10%.
Where does the data on the Bangladeshi diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Bangladesh who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Bangladesh
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