MigrantoMozambican Diaspora
702.8K Mozambicans live abroad — 2% of the population of Mozambique
Mozambican diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 90% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 412058 |
| Zimbabwe | 126753 |
| Portugal | 90640 |
| Malawi | 39156 |
| Tanzania | 14166 |
| Eswatini | 10136 |
| Zambia | 2125 |
| Brazil | 1699 |
| Australia | 1037 |
| Italy | 953 |
| Eritrea | 867 |
| Botswana | 638 |
| Kenya | 494 |
| Luxembourg | 392 |
| Denmark | 278 |
| Angola | 256 |
| Chile | 237 |
| Norway | 215 |
| Namibia | 151 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 93 |
| Finland | 86 |
| Greece | 67 |
| Lesotho | 52 |
| Bulgaria | 52 |
| Venezuela | 46 |
| Iceland | 45 |
| Hungary | 34 |
| Cape Verde | 27 |
| Guinea | 16 |
| Cyprus | 8 |
| Costa Rica | 5 |
| Slovakia | 3 |
| Slovenia | 3 |
| Bolivia | 3 |
| Estonia | 2 |
| Liechtenstein | 2 |
| Lithuania | 1 |
| Latvia | 0 |
By region
86% of the diaspora lives in Africa
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Key facts
The Mozambican diaspora in numbers
Most Mozambicans abroad live in South Africa
59% of the diaspora lives in South Africa, while the next country accounts for just 18%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Luxembourg, Chile, Norway. Luxembourg climbed from outside the top 20 to #14.
Mozambican diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1989048 |
| 1995 | 761443 |
| 2000 | 650229 |
| 2005 | 641039 |
| 2010 | 655516 |
| 2015 | 671672 |
| 2020 | 689058 |
| 2024 | 702796 |
Largest communities over time
Mozambicans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Portugal | Malawi | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 116573 | 482855 | 74609 | 1075410 | 144353 |
| 1995 | 274920 | 266322 | 73598 | 60845 | 57995 |
| 2000 | 252569 | 197838 | 75573 | 58576 | 46739 |
| 2005 | 310547 | 145402 | 74985 | 55817 | 36267 |
| 2010 | 374505 | 117799 | 61946 | 54826 | 28177 |
| 2015 | 403208 | 118442 | 70228 | 47220 | 14651 |
| 2020 | 413226 | 122923 | 80570 | 40131 | 13052 |
| 2024 | 412058 | 126753 | 90640 | 39156 | 14166 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Mozambicans in each country has changed since the selected year
Mozambicans among immigrants in other countries
Where Mozambicans 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 Mozambicans live outside Mozambique?
Around 702.8K Mozambicans live abroad, the world's #87 largest diaspora.
Where do most Mozambicans abroad live?
Most Mozambicans live in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Portugal — these three countries account for about 90% of all Mozambicans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Mozambican population outside Mozambique?
South Africa is home to the largest Mozambican community abroad — 412.1K people, about 59% of all Mozambicans living abroad.
What share of the population of Mozambique lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Mozambique lives abroad — that's 702.8K out of a total population of 34.6M.
Is the Mozambican diaspora growing?
Barely — over the past decade, the number of Mozambicans living abroad has changed from 671.7K to 702.8K, about 5%.
Where does the data on the Mozambican diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Mozambique who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Mozambique
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