MigrantoEthiopian Diaspora
1.2M Ethiopians live abroad — the #61 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 54% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 363811 |
| Saudi Arabia | 180746 |
| Sudan | 121969 |
| South Africa | 104402 |
| Israel | 101417 |
| Lebanon | 50432 |
| Canada | 46425 |
| Kenya | 30353 |
| Somalia | 28964 |
| Italy | 25419 |
| Sweden | 24644 |
| Netherlands | 22584 |
| Egypt | 17747 |
| Australia | 17141 |
| Yemen | 16283 |
| South Sudan | 13582 |
| Djibouti | 13235 |
| Norway | 10556 |
| UAE | 10340 |
| Uganda | 10059 |
| Belgium | 8073 |
| Kuwait | 4166 |
| Finland | 2891 |
| Greece | 2620 |
| Denmark | 2443 |
| Libya | 2063 |
| Malta | 1797 |
| Qatar | 1781 |
| China | 1704 |
| Bahrain | 1040 |
| Luxembourg | 282 |
| Hungary | 235 |
| Namibia | 233 |
| Chile | 222 |
| Iceland | 133 |
| Indonesia | 119 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 95 |
| Bulgaria | 87 |
| Nicaragua | 86 |
| Eritrea | 84 |
| Cyprus | 83 |
| Faroe Islands | 46 |
| Slovakia | 42 |
| Ghana | 37 |
| Portugal | 36 |
| Venezuela | 31 |
| Eswatini | 28 |
| Belarus | 23 |
| Slovenia | 17 |
| Estonia | 14 |
| Guinea | 10 |
| Liechtenstein | 10 |
| Lithuania | 2 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
| Saint Lucia | 0 |
By destination region
North America is the leading destination region at 33%
410.2K
366.3K
342.8K
102K
17.1K
1.8K
437
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Ethiopia.
Sudan is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Sudan has increased by 140% since 2015, rising from 50.7K to 122K in 9 years.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 88.7% to 27.6% since 1990.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 58% to 29%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
USA is the primary destination for emigrants
USA attracts 29% of all emigrants from Ethiopia, while the second-largest destination receives just 15%.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1630810 |
| 1995 | 727374 |
| 2000 | 418923 |
| 2005 | 493987 |
| 2010 | 666181 |
| 2015 | 896584 |
| 2020 | 1075343 |
| 2024 | 1240645 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | USA | Saudi Arabia | Sudan | South Africa | Israel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31919 | 13622 | 942295 | 12 | 35323 |
| 1995 | 9826 | 20041 | 496740 | 109 | 44018 |
| 2000 | 74613 | 22195 | 123478 | 698 | 55262 |
| 2005 | 112568 | 29520 | 107732 | 11887 | 67519 |
| 2010 | 171081 | 67124 | 73623 | 22273 | 81526 |
| 2015 | 237172 | 155294 | 50734 | 72207 | 87563 |
| 2020 | 285055 | 160421 | 70173 | 117442 | 95201 |
| 2024 | 363811 | 180746 | 121969 | 104402 | 101417 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Ethiopia as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Ethiopia
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Ethiopians move to?
Most Ethiopians have moved to USA, Saudi Arabia and Sudan — these three countries account for about 54% of all Ethiopians living abroad.
How many Ethiopians live abroad?
Around 1.2M Ethiopians live abroad, making it the #61-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Ethiopia lives abroad?
About 1% of the population of Ethiopia lives abroad — that's 1.2M out of a total population of 132.1M.
How has emigration from Ethiopia changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Ethiopia has grown from 896.6K to 1.2M people, a growth of about 38%.
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