Where Malawians move
427.6K Malawians live abroad — #115 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Malawi? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 93% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 220437 |
| Zimbabwe | 111872 |
| Mozambique | 65284 |
| Zambia | 17796 |
| Tanzania | 6678 |
| Australia | 1853 |
| Botswana | 1560 |
| Eritrea | 604 |
| Portugal | 586 |
| Namibia | 409 |
| Norway | 125 |
| Finland | 121 |
| Denmark | 104 |
| Lesotho | 84 |
| Guinea | 15 |
| Luxembourg | 13 |
| Bolivia | 8 |
| Slovakia | 7 |
| Cyprus | 6 |
| Hungary | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 3 |
| Iceland | 2 |
| Slovenia | 2 |
| Estonia | 0 |
| Latvia | 0 |
| Lithuania | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 99%
424.7K
1.9K
967
8
6
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Malawi.
South Africa is the primary destination for emigrants
South Africa attracts 52% of all emigrants from Malawi, while the second-largest destination receives just 26%.
South Africa is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to South Africa has increased by 82% since 2015, rising from 121.3K to 220.4K in 9 years.
Emigration has accelerated notably since 2020
The emigrant population grew 15% from 372.9K to 427.6K, indicating an acceleration in emigration flows following COVID and recent geopolitical shifts.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 138206 |
| 1995 | 134253 |
| 2000 | 167695 |
| 2005 | 216125 |
| 2010 | 259343 |
| 2015 | 307175 |
| 2020 | 372914 |
| 2024 | 427573 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Zambia | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19462 | 69618 | 22975 | 17073 | 7218 |
| 1995 | 12658 | 67945 | 31600 | 12382 | 7121 |
| 2000 | 20543 | 92989 | 36755 | 6937 | 7098 |
| 2005 | 43126 | 102211 | 50465 | 9665 | 7048 |
| 2010 | 73730 | 103681 | 57509 | 13467 | 7011 |
| 2015 | 121300 | 104247 | 59620 | 10363 | 6907 |
| 2020 | 177019 | 108491 | 62643 | 13422 | 6153 |
| 2024 | 220437 | 111872 | 65284 | 17796 | 6678 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Malawi as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Malawi