MigrantoCongolese Diaspora
2.1M Congolese live abroad — the #36 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 52% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Uganda | 637206 |
| Rwanda | 236385 |
| Burundi | 224091 |
| Republic of Congo | 168387 |
| France | 120178 |
| South Sudan | 97364 |
| Angola | 93210 |
| Belgium | 88896 |
| Tanzania | 76772 |
| Zambia | 67171 |
| South Africa | 57519 |
| Kenya | 41186 |
| Canada | 39790 |
| Malawi | 27099 |
| Central African Republic | 19448 |
| Sudan | 17897 |
| Mozambique | 11941 |
| Gabon | 9660 |
| Australia | 8028 |
| Sweden | 7671 |
| Italy | 7127 |
| Cameroon | 5273 |
| Greece | 5069 |
| Namibia | 4597 |
| Norway | 3111 |
| Mali | 2931 |
| Portugal | 2340 |
| Finland | 2332 |
| Denmark | 2032 |
| Brazil | 1524 |
| Eritrea | 1324 |
| Botswana | 1192 |
| China | 1091 |
| Luxembourg | 1066 |
| Ethiopia | 1041 |
| Mexico | 1016 |
| Cyprus | 720 |
| Eswatini | 683 |
| Togo | 661 |
| Libya | 489 |
| Chad | 399 |
| Senegal | 371 |
| Israel | 241 |
| India | 234 |
| Chile | 207 |
| Mauritania | 104 |
| Hungary | 83 |
| Guinea | 71 |
| Nicaragua | 50 |
| Ghana | 37 |
| Bulgaria | 18 |
| Estonia | 12 |
| Slovenia | 12 |
| Slovakia | 9 |
| Latvia | 4 |
| Liechtenstein | 4 |
| Costa Rica | 4 |
| Iceland | 3 |
| Lithuania | 3 |
| Bolivia | 3 |
| Sierra Leone | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 86%
1.8M
240K
39.8K
8K
2.8K
1.3K
961
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from DR Congo.
Zambia is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Zambia has increased by 154% since 2015, rising from 26.4K to 67.2K in 9 years.
Uganda is the primary destination for emigrants
Uganda attracts 30% of all emigrants from DR Congo, while the second-largest destination receives just 11%.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: South Sudan, Kenya, Australia — South Sudan rose from outside the top 20 to rank #6.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 17% to 30%, with Uganda increasingly the primary choice.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 393133 |
| 1995 | 505090 |
| 2000 | 794799 |
| 2005 | 1097069 |
| 2010 | 1242847 |
| 2015 | 1512153 |
| 2020 | 1916852 |
| 2024 | 2097387 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Uganda | Rwanda | Burundi | Republic of Congo | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 48439 | 62526 | 36654 | 67316 | 25468 |
| 1995 | 57379 | 89770 | 41447 | 110720 | 25784 |
| 2000 | 59982 | 163420 | 37951 | 183780 | 29886 |
| 2005 | 80038 | 197717 | 99099 | 230684 | 50146 |
| 2010 | 161865 | 207397 | 147611 | 252142 | 66968 |
| 2015 | 299572 | 233744 | 175768 | 170368 | 86202 |
| 2020 | 526428 | 236657 | 199585 | 169268 | 104663 |
| 2024 | 637206 | 236385 | 224091 | 168387 | 120178 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
DR Congo as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from DR Congo
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Congolese move to?
Most Congolese have moved to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi — these three countries account for about 52% of all Congolese living abroad.
How many Congolese live abroad?
Around 2.1M Congolese live abroad, making it the #36-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of DR Congo lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of DR Congo lives abroad — that's 2.1M out of a total population of 109.3M.
How has emigration from DR Congo changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from DR Congo has grown from 1.5M to 2.1M people, a growth of about 39%.
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