MigrantoEthiopian Diaspora
1.2M Ethiopians live abroad — 1% of the population of Ethiopia
Ethiopian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 54% of the diaspora
| 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 region
33% of the diaspora lives in North America
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Key facts
The Ethiopian diaspora in numbers
The community in Sudan is growing fastest
The number of Ethiopians living in Sudan has grown 140% since 2015, from 50.7K to 122K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
88.7% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 27.6% today.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 58% to 29%.
Most Ethiopians abroad live in the USA
29% of the diaspora lives in the USA, while the next country accounts for just 15%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: South Africa, Egypt, South Sudan. South Africa climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
The diaspora has grown 15% since 2020
The number of Ethiopians living abroad rose from 1.1M to 1.2M in four years.
Ethiopian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1630810 |
| 1995 | 727374 |
| 2000 | 418923 |
| 2005 | 493987 |
| 2010 | 666181 |
| 2015 | 896584 |
| 2020 | 1075343 |
| 2024 | 1240645 |
Largest communities over time
Ethiopians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Ethiopians in each country has changed since the selected year
Ethiopians among immigrants in other countries
Where Ethiopians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Ethiopians live outside Ethiopia?
Around 1.2M Ethiopians live abroad, the world's #61 largest diaspora.
Where do most Ethiopians abroad live?
Most Ethiopians live in USA, Saudi Arabia and Sudan — these three countries account for about 54% of all Ethiopians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Ethiopian population outside Ethiopia?
USA is home to the largest Ethiopian community abroad — 363.8K people, about 29% of all Ethiopians living abroad.
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.
Is the Ethiopian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Ethiopians living abroad has grown from 896.6K to 1.2M, about 38%.
Where does the data on the Ethiopian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Ethiopia who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Ethiopia
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