MigrantoImmigrants in China
1.6M foreigners live in China — 0% of the country's population
Immigrants in China by country
The 3 largest groups make up 61% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 421605 |
| Myanmar | 367052 |
| Taiwan | 170422 |
| Vietnam | 88254 |
| South Korea | 65073 |
| USA | 60434 |
| Macao | 59238 |
| Japan | 40436 |
| Canada | 23177 |
| Russia | 21040 |
| Australia | 13927 |
| United Kingdom | 13630 |
| Germany | 12294 |
| France | 10089 |
| Laos | 9927 |
| Malaysia | 9810 |
| North Korea | 9636 |
| Ukraine | 9603 |
| Singapore | 9088 |
| Pakistan | 8464 |
| India | 7765 |
| Argentina | 7565 |
| Cambodia | 6091 |
| Venezuela | 5886 |
| Philippines | 5817 |
| Thailand | 5498 |
| South Africa | 5129 |
| Nigeria | 4915 |
| Brazil | 4866 |
| Italy | 4682 |
| Yemen | 4407 |
| New Zealand | 3811 |
| Indonesia | 3725 |
| Bangladesh | 3569 |
| Ghana | 3252 |
| Spain | 2945 |
| Zimbabwe | 2913 |
| Netherlands | 2508 |
| Cameroon | 2133 |
| Tanzania | 1967 |
| Belarus | 1913 |
| Kazakhstan | 1862 |
| Zambia | 1737 |
| Ethiopia | 1704 |
| Uzbekistan | 1611 |
| Mexico | 1590 |
| Afghanistan | 1569 |
| Sweden | 1427 |
| Egypt | 1423 |
| Rwanda | 1400 |
| Nepal | 1388 |
| Iran | 1331 |
| Republic of Congo | 1263 |
| Belgium | 1179 |
| Turkmenistan | 1169 |
| Turkey | 1152 |
| Syria | 1147 |
| Ireland | 1102 |
| DR Congo | 1091 |
| Kenya | 1078 |
| Mongolia | 1078 |
| Morocco | 1026 |
| Austria | 1022 |
| Mali | 960 |
| Colombia | 951 |
| Chile | 930 |
| Uganda | 917 |
| Denmark | 837 |
| Ecuador | 807 |
| Panama | 800 |
| Poland | 798 |
| Sudan | 796 |
| Liberia | 794 |
| Serbia | 771 |
| Peru | 767 |
| Switzerland | 749 |
| Guinea | 724 |
| Madagascar | 705 |
| Tajikistan | 651 |
| Somalia | 638 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 602 |
| Israel | 602 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 591 |
| Ivory Coast | 588 |
| Cuba | 587 |
| Finland | 575 |
| Jamaica | 572 |
| Burundi | 516 |
| Iraq | 482 |
| Jordan | 434 |
| Norway | 398 |
| Algeria | 379 |
| Sri Lanka | 378 |
| Saudi Arabia | 276 |
| Azerbaijan | 222 |
| Mauritius | 198 |
| Bhutan | 113 |
By region of origin
83% of immigrants come from Asia
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Key facts
Immigrants in China in numbers
People born in Myanmar are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Myanmar living in China has grown 271% since 2015, from 98.9K to 367.1K.
40% of all emigrants from Macao live in China
No other country has more people born in Macao.
Hong Kongers are the largest group by a wide margin
27% of all immigrants were born in Hong Kong, while the next group accounts for just 23%.
1 in 12 people born in Macao lives in China
59.2K people born in Macao live in China — 8.62% of the population of Macao.
The immigrant population has grown 16% since 2020
The number of foreigners living in China rose from 1.3M to 1.6M in four years.
Immigrant population in China over time
Foreigners living in China, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 486492 |
| 1995 | 574185 |
| 2000 | 682239 |
| 2005 | 812788 |
| 2010 | 967866 |
| 2015 | 1070852 |
| 2020 | 1348154 |
| 2024 | 1565013 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in China, by year
| Year | Hong Kongers | Burmese | Taiwanese | Vietnamese | South Koreans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 110881 | 14220 | 82618 | 16874 | 60637 |
| 1995 | 132434 | 17283 | 98007 | 20194 | 71176 |
| 2000 | 158117 | 20570 | 116806 | 24034 | 84711 |
| 2005 | 188659 | 24484 | 139228 | 28607 | 100830 |
| 2010 | 227011 | 30437 | 166008 | 34576 | 118141 |
| 2015 | 290906 | 98893 | 164372 | 52155 | 86238 |
| 2020 | 359011 | 309339 | 155299 | 75187 | 60578 |
| 2024 | 421605 | 367052 | 170422 | 88254 | 65073 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in China
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in China
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in China?
Around 1.6M immigrants live in China — the world's #44 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of China are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 0% of the population of China — that's 1.6M out of a total population of 1.4B.
Where do most immigrants in China come from?
Most immigrants in China come from Hong Kong, Myanmar and Taiwan — these three countries account for about 61% of all immigrants.
How many Hong Kongers live in China?
Around 421.6K Hong Kongers live in China — about 27% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in China growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in China has grown from 1.1M to 1.6M, about 46%.
Where does the data on immigrants in China come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in China. Their children born in China are not included.
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Living in China
See the full country overview