MigrantoBritish Virgin Islands Diaspora
6.2K British Virgin Islands live abroad — the #199 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 76% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| US Virgin Islands | 2465 |
| South Africa | 1265 |
| Sint Maarten | 996 |
| Mali | 657 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 258 |
| Curaçao | 161 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 104 |
| Dominica | 87 |
| Bulgaria | 83 |
| Dominican Republic | 82 |
| Grenada | 14 |
| Saint Lucia | 6 |
| Norway | 4 |
| Bahamas | 2 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Greece | 0 |
By destination region
Latin America is the leading destination region at 68%
4.2K
1.9K
88
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from the British Virgin Islands.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 70% to 40%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
US Virgin Islands is the primary destination for emigrants
US Virgin Islands attracts 40% of all emigrants from the British Virgin Islands, while the second-largest destination receives just 20%.
The share of emigrants going to Latin America has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Latin America has shifted from 98.8% to 67.5% since 1990.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 6 residents of the British Virgin Islands has emigrated — 6.2K out of 39.5K, representing 15.7% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 3832 |
| 1995 | 3930 |
| 2000 | 4053 |
| 2005 | 3678 |
| 2010 | 4534 |
| 2015 | 4874 |
| 2020 | 5543 |
| 2024 | 6185 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | US Virgin Islands | South Africa | Sint Maarten | Mali | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2665 | 12 | 790 | 0 | 106 |
| 1995 | 2693 | 12 | 790 | 0 | 140 |
| 2000 | 2727 | 13 | 790 | 0 | 193 |
| 2005 | 2594 | 44 | 434 | 0 | 219 |
| 2010 | 2463 | 119 | 868 | 407 | 237 |
| 2015 | 2464 | 317 | 904 | 500 | 243 |
| 2020 | 2464 | 828 | 953 | 585 | 250 |
| 2024 | 2465 | 1265 | 996 | 657 | 258 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
British Virgin Islands as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from the British Virgin Islands
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do British Virgin Islands move to?
Most British Virgin Islands have moved to US Virgin Islands, South Africa and Sint Maarten — these three countries account for about 76% of all British Virgin Islands living abroad.
How many British Virgin Islands live abroad?
Around 6.2K British Virgin Islands live abroad, making it the #199-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of the British Virgin Islands lives abroad?
About 16% of the population of the British Virgin Islands lives abroad — that's 6.2K out of a total population of 39.5K.
How has emigration from the British Virgin Islands changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from the British Virgin Islands has grown from 4.9K to 6.2K people, a growth of about 27%.
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Explore other countries
See where people move around the world