MigrantoBurmese Diaspora
4.3M Burmese live abroad — the #16 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 77% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Thailand | 1708695 |
| Bangladesh | 1246705 |
| China | 367052 |
| Malaysia | 308095 |
| USA | 199585 |
| Saudi Arabia | 163252 |
| India | 132598 |
| Japan | 92214 |
| Australia | 46297 |
| South Korea | 25739 |
| Canada | 10379 |
| New Zealand | 3834 |
| Norway | 3623 |
| Laos | 3201 |
| Pakistan | 2297 |
| Indonesia | 2063 |
| Denmark | 1766 |
| Finland | 1431 |
| Italy | 468 |
| South Africa | 437 |
| Israel | 238 |
| Panama | 178 |
| Greece | 101 |
| Cambodia | 57 |
| Cyprus | 47 |
| Hungary | 37 |
| Bhutan | 35 |
| Costa Rica | 17 |
| Luxembourg | 10 |
| Iceland | 6 |
| Slovakia | 3 |
| Estonia | 1 |
| Slovenia | 1 |
| Guinea | 0 |
| Bolivia | 0 |
By destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 90%
3.9M
210K
163.5K
50.1K
7.4K
437
195
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Myanmar.
Japan is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Japan has increased by 655% since 2015, rising from 12.2K to 92.2K in 9 years.
Thailand is the primary destination for emigrants
Thailand attracts 40% of all emigrants from Myanmar, while the second-largest destination receives just 29%.
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has shifted from 32% to 3.8% since 1990.
Emigration has accelerated notably since 2020
The emigrant population grew 20% from 3.6M to 4.3M, 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 | 529164 |
| 1995 | 530678 |
| 2000 | 671239 |
| 2005 | 1254165 |
| 2010 | 2129897 |
| 2015 | 2517411 |
| 2020 | 3611603 |
| 2024 | 4320462 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Thailand | Bangladesh | China | Malaysia | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1106 | 225851 | 14220 | 0 | 19607 |
| 1995 | 1104 | 228109 | 17283 | 6621 | 19263 |
| 2000 | 136674 | 230390 | 20570 | 8582 | 27986 |
| 2005 | 696293 | 128693 | 24484 | 109039 | 37223 |
| 2010 | 1255912 | 235019 | 30437 | 237677 | 81779 |
| 2015 | 1429751 | 237369 | 98893 | 286574 | 136994 |
| 2020 | 1576317 | 907426 | 309339 | 299559 | 161967 |
| 2024 | 1708695 | 1246705 | 367052 | 308095 | 199585 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Myanmar as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Myanmar
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Burmese move to?
Most Burmese have moved to Thailand, Bangladesh and China — these three countries account for about 77% of all Burmese living abroad.
How many Burmese live abroad?
Around 4.3M Burmese live abroad, making it the #16-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Myanmar lives abroad?
About 8% of the population of Myanmar lives abroad — that's 4.3M out of a total population of 54.5M.
How has emigration from Myanmar changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Myanmar has grown from 2.5M to 4.3M people, a growth of about 72%.
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