MigrantoMigration trends in Bangladesh
Asia
8.7M people from Bangladesh have built lives abroad. That's 5.0% of the country population, spread across 62 different countries
173.6M
Population
2.5M
Immigrants
8.7M
Emigrants
−6.2M
Outflow
1 in every 21 people born in Bangladesh now lives abroad
The #7 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in Bangladesh
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
741.5K immigrants · 5.1M emigrants
2005
- Malaysia overtook Myanmar as the largest source of new arrivals
2010
- Surge of departures to Malaysia — 264.1K people left
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
2015
- Surge of departures to Saudi Arabia — 1.1M people left
- Surge of departures to Oman — 330.7K people left
2020
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 57%
- Surge of immigrants from Myanmar — 670.1K new arrivals
Today
- Saudi Arabia replaced India as the main destination for those leaving
- Since 1990: 1.7M more foreign-born residents and 3.6M more citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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