MigrantoImmigrants in Egypt
1.1M foreigners live in Egypt — 1% of the country's population
Immigrants in Egypt by country
The 3 largest groups make up 70% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Sudan | 500000 |
| Syria | 156146 |
| Palestine | 89239 |
| Somalia | 50036 |
| South Sudan | 37915 |
| China | 34659 |
| Eritrea | 32390 |
| Russia | 26357 |
| Iraq | 20517 |
| Ethiopia | 17747 |
| United Kingdom | 15793 |
| Germany | 11205 |
| Yemen | 10716 |
| Israel | 7095 |
| Italy | 4458 |
| Netherlands | 3809 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3490 |
| Indonesia | 3074 |
| Jordan | 2616 |
| Libya | 2564 |
| USA | 2512 |
| France | 2419 |
| Malaysia | 2311 |
| Comoros | 2218 |
| Poland | 1970 |
| Ukraine | 1643 |
| Nigeria | 1578 |
| Lebanon | 1572 |
| Philippines | 1485 |
| India | 1141 |
| Australia | 1077 |
| Kuwait | 1064 |
| Belgium | 982 |
| Morocco | 979 |
| Thailand | 945 |
| Sweden | 930 |
| Japan | 805 |
| Spain | 786 |
| Bangladesh | 762 |
| Canada | 690 |
| Denmark | 616 |
| Turkey | 595 |
| Tunisia | 507 |
| Afghanistan | 486 |
| Algeria | 465 |
| UAE | 432 |
| Czech Republic | 425 |
| South Korea | 352 |
| Cameroon | 327 |
| South Africa | 304 |
| Norway | 302 |
| Niger | 298 |
| Armenia | 274 |
| Burundi | 240 |
| Finland | 236 |
| Laos | 235 |
| Republic of Congo | 228 |
| Chad | 225 |
| Switzerland | 224 |
| Djibouti | 223 |
| Belarus | 221 |
| Qatar | 212 |
| Brazil | 206 |
| Senegal | 201 |
| Guinea | 200 |
| Pakistan | 186 |
| Ivory Coast | 176 |
| Singapore | 170 |
| Oman | 144 |
| Greece | 91 |
| Bahrain | 45 |
| Sierra Leone | 22 |
By region of origin
61% of immigrants come from Africa
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Key facts
Immigrants in Egypt in numbers
The immigrant population has grown 92% since 2020
The number of foreigners living in Egypt rose from 556.8K to 1.1M in four years.
The share of immigrants from Africa has grown since 1990
9.8% of immigrants came from Africa in 1990, compared with 60.8% today.
Sudanese are the largest group by a wide margin
47% of all immigrants were born in Sudan, while the next group accounts for just 15%.
More immigrants come from a single country than in 1990
The largest group's share rose from 18% to 47%, and today that group is people born in Sudan.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
6 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea. Sudan climbed from outside the top 20 to #1.
Immigrant population in Egypt over time
Foreigners living in Egypt, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 131373 |
| 1995 | 145577 |
| 2000 | 172262 |
| 2005 | 280758 |
| 2010 | 314863 |
| 2015 | 255797 |
| 2020 | 556780 |
| 2024 | 1066563 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Egypt, by year
| Year | Sudanese | Syrians | Palestinians | Somalis | South Sudanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 | 4313 | 24045 | 4455 | 0 |
| 1995 | 988 | 4509 | 26002 | 10595 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7069 | 4703 | 28167 | 12795 | 0 |
| 2005 | 23331 | 4744 | 100942 | 19136 | 0 |
| 2010 | 22156 | 4406 | 100193 | 28403 | 0 |
| 2015 | 27669 | 128008 | 70034 | 7524 | 3578 |
| 2020 | 48506 | 133163 | 95129 | 47293 | 19410 |
| 2024 | 500000 | 156146 | 89239 | 50036 | 37915 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Egypt
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Egypt
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Egypt?
Around 1.1M immigrants live in Egypt — the world's #57 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Egypt are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 1% of the population of Egypt — that's 1.1M out of a total population of 116.5M.
Where do most immigrants in Egypt come from?
Most immigrants in Egypt come from Sudan, Syria and Palestine — these three countries account for about 70% of all immigrants.
How many Sudanese live in Egypt?
Around 500K Sudanese live in Egypt — about 47% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Egypt growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Egypt has grown from 255.8K to 1.1M, about 317%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Egypt come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Egypt. Their children born in Egypt are not included.
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Living in Egypt
See the full country overview