MigrantoColombian Diaspora
3.7M Colombians live abroad — the #22 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 73% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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 destination region
Latin America is the leading destination region at 41%
1.5M
1.1M
957.7K
64K
3.8K
3.6K
2.7K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Colombia.
Chile is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Chile has increased by 239% since 2015, rising from 55.8K to 189.2K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 56% to 28%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
USA is the primary destination for emigrants
USA attracts 28% of all emigrants from Colombia, while the second-largest destination receives just 24%.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
5 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Chile, Australia, Argentina — Chile rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1000769 |
| 1995 | 1181011 |
| 2000 | 1469973 |
| 2005 | 1823207 |
| 2010 | 2558298 |
| 2015 | 2720321 |
| 2020 | 3165293 |
| 2024 | 3652238 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| 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 destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Colombia as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Colombia
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Colombians move to?
Most Colombians have moved to USA, Venezuela and Spain — these three countries account for about 73% of all Colombians living abroad.
How many Colombians live abroad?
Around 3.7M Colombians live abroad, making it the #22-largest emigrant population in the world.
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.
How has emigration from Colombia changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Colombia has grown from 2.7M to 3.7M people, a growth of about 34%.
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