MigrantoColombian Diaspora
3.7M Colombians live abroad — 7% of the population of Colombia
Colombian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 73% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 1008875 |
| Venezuela | 875552 |
| Spain | 792228 |
| Chile | 189185 |
| Ecuador | 159966 |
| Canada | 101001 |
| Panama | 77349 |
| Australia | 59674 |
| Argentina | 53163 |
| Mexico | 51112 |
| Italy | 45753 |
| France | 43218 |
| Costa Rica | 30809 |
| Peru | 25477 |
| Netherlands | 19517 |
| Switzerland | 17521 |
| Aruba | 14983 |
| Sweden | 14267 |
| Brazil | 10230 |
| Belgium | 9685 |
| Curaçao | 7075 |
| Norway | 6878 |
| New Zealand | 4324 |
| Denmark | 4100 |
| Bolivia | 3685 |
| Israel | 3652 |
| Puerto Rico | 3650 |
| Dominican Republic | 3195 |
| Japan | 2655 |
| Guinea | 2436 |
| Finland | 1446 |
| Guatemala | 1366 |
| China | 951 |
| Honduras | 902 |
| Haiti | 845 |
| Portugal | 828 |
| Luxembourg | 595 |
| El Salvador | 593 |
| Cayman Islands | 510 |
| Nicaragua | 485 |
| Greece | 429 |
| Hungary | 395 |
| Iceland | 388 |
| Sint Maarten | 228 |
| South Africa | 220 |
| Bahamas | 217 |
| Cyprus | 131 |
| Bulgaria | 94 |
| Slovenia | 77 |
| Slovakia | 75 |
| Estonia | 58 |
| Liechtenstein | 46 |
| Faroe Islands | 43 |
| Croatia | 39 |
| Cuba | 30 |
| Lithuania | 20 |
| Latvia | 12 |
By region
41% of the diaspora lives in Latin America
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Key facts
The Colombian diaspora in numbers
The community in Chile is growing fastest
The number of Colombians living in Chile has grown 239% since 2015, from 55.8K to 189.2K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 56% to 28%.
Most Colombians abroad live in the USA
28% of the diaspora lives in the USA, while the next country accounts for just 24%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Chile, Australia, Argentina. Chile climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
The share of the diaspora living in Latin America has declined since 1990
64.4% of the diaspora lived in Latin America in 1990, compared with 41.4% today.
The diaspora has grown 15% since 2020
The number of Colombians living abroad rose from 3.2M to 3.7M in four years.
Colombian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1000769 |
| 1995 | 1181011 |
| 2000 | 1469973 |
| 2005 | 1823207 |
| 2010 | 2558298 |
| 2015 | 2720321 |
| 2020 | 3165293 |
| 2024 | 3652238 |
Largest communities over time
Colombians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | USA | Venezuela | Spain | Chile | Ecuador |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 294067 | 555578 | 14139 | 1390 | 43952 |
| 1995 | 382528 | 588323 | 44549 | 2080 | 47171 |
| 2000 | 518413 | 617257 | 130058 | 3420 | 51303 |
| 2005 | 567340 | 672292 | 280284 | 6026 | 76000 |
| 2010 | 659397 | 929944 | 376074 | 13001 | 250310 |
| 2015 | 725904 | 973315 | 344064 | 55757 | 216114 |
| 2020 | 867302 | 917753 | 513451 | 161106 | 210790 |
| 2024 | 1008875 | 875552 | 792228 | 189185 | 159966 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Colombians in each country has changed since the selected year
Colombians among immigrants in other countries
Where Colombians 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 Colombians live outside Colombia?
Around 3.7M Colombians live abroad, the world's #22 largest diaspora.
Where do most Colombians abroad live?
Most Colombians live in USA, Venezuela and Spain — these three countries account for about 73% of all Colombians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Colombian population outside Colombia?
USA is home to the largest Colombian community abroad — 1M people, about 28% of all Colombians living abroad.
What share of the population of Colombia lives abroad?
About 7% of the population of Colombia lives abroad — that's 3.7M out of a total population of 52.9M.
Is the Colombian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Colombians living abroad has grown from 2.7M to 3.7M, about 34%.
Where does the data on the Colombian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Colombia who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Colombia
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