Migration trends in DR Congo
Africa
2.1M people from DR Congo have built lives abroad. That's 1.9% of the country population, spread across 61 different countries
109.3M
Population
1M
Immigrants
2.1M
Emigrants
−1.1M
Outflow
1.9% of people born in DR Congo now live abroad
The #36 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in DR Congo
Where people move to
Where people come from
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
663K immigrants · 393.1K emigrants
1995
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 159%
- Rwanda overtook Angola as the largest source of new arrivals
- Entered the world's 20 biggest immigrant destinations
- Rose into the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Africa
2000
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora abroad grew by 57%
- Surge of departures to Tanzania — 90.5K people left
2005
- The diaspora abroad passed 1M people
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 603.1K
2010
- Surge of departures to Uganda — 81.8K people left
- Emigration to Tanzania declined sharply — 88K fewer migrants there
- South Sudan became a significant new destination — 60.8K residents had moved there
2015
- Rwanda overtook Angola as the largest source of new arrivals
- Uganda replaced Republic of Congo as the main destination for those leaving
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 81%
- Surge of immigrants from Rwanda — 151.3K new arrivals
2020
- Surge of immigrants from South Sudan — 82.4K new arrivals
Today
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
- Since 1990: 383.9K more foreign-born residents and 1.7M more citizens living abroad