Where Congolese move
2.1M Congolese live abroad — #36 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from DR Congo? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
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
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