MigrantoNigerian Diaspora
2.1M Nigerians live abroad — the #37 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 52% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 565053 |
| United Kingdom | 324007 |
| Niger | 199722 |
| Cameroon | 188266 |
| Italy | 112792 |
| Canada | 112065 |
| Benin | 92433 |
| Ghana | 90111 |
| Ivory Coast | 60926 |
| Sudan | 35645 |
| Spain | 33772 |
| Togo | 32503 |
| South Africa | 26707 |
| Gabon | 25938 |
| Ireland | 22078 |
| Australia | 19524 |
| Turkey | 16375 |
| Chad | 14802 |
| UAE | 14690 |
| Sweden | 9397 |
| Austria | 8525 |
| Belgium | 8134 |
| Mozambique | 5582 |
| Burkina Faso | 5490 |
| Kuwait | 5147 |
| China | 4915 |
| Mali | 4787 |
| Qatar | 4351 |
| Japan | 3939 |
| South Sudan | 3756 |
| Liberia | 3595 |
| Finland | 3431 |
| Libya | 3215 |
| Greece | 3096 |
| Brazil | 2384 |
| Norway | 2198 |
| Denmark | 2102 |
| Hungary | 2087 |
| Sierra Leone | 2024 |
| Malta | 1782 |
| Egypt | 1578 |
| Bahrain | 1485 |
| Botswana | 1302 |
| Namibia | 1092 |
| Mexico | 944 |
| Poland | 902 |
| Senegal | 869 |
| Zambia | 829 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 802 |
| Israel | 765 |
| Cape Verde | 741 |
| India | 720 |
| Estonia | 611 |
| Tunisia | 604 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 464 |
| Luxembourg | 378 |
| Guinea | 352 |
| Portugal | 340 |
| Bulgaria | 338 |
| Cyprus | 317 |
| Iceland | 234 |
| Bahamas | 180 |
| Ecuador | 160 |
| Slovakia | 155 |
| Seychelles | 139 |
| Venezuela | 93 |
| Slovenia | 77 |
| Panama | 66 |
| Saint Lucia | 63 |
| Belize | 54 |
| Dominica | 51 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 41 |
| Bermuda | 35 |
| Dominican Republic | 27 |
| Nicaragua | 25 |
| Croatia | 24 |
| Latvia | 20 |
| Bolivia | 16 |
| Cayman Islands | 11 |
| Liechtenstein | 6 |
| Lithuania | 5 |
| Costa Rica | 4 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 38%
803.5K
677.2K
536.5K
43.1K
19.5K
9.6K
4.9K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Nigeria.
Sudan is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Sudan has increased by 140% since 2015, rising from 14.8K to 35.6K in 9 years.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 68.7% to 38.4% since 1990.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
6 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Spain, South Africa, Australia — Spain rose from outside the top 20 to rank #11.
USA is the primary destination for emigrants
USA attracts 27% of all emigrants from Nigeria, while the second-largest destination receives just 15%.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 394107 |
| 1995 | 467021 |
| 2000 | 542140 |
| 2005 | 763991 |
| 2010 | 978678 |
| 2015 | 1359519 |
| 2020 | 1768444 |
| 2024 | 2094265 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | USA | United Kingdom | Niger | Cameroon | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 56108 | 44047 | 38319 | 105140 | 5005 |
| 1995 | 98420 | 61112 | 28313 | 97818 | 8382 |
| 2000 | 125503 | 83822 | 18540 | 90495 | 13563 |
| 2005 | 167721 | 125003 | 18881 | 101721 | 25960 |
| 2010 | 221495 | 189847 | 19180 | 82748 | 39126 |
| 2015 | 324227 | 236603 | 93179 | 131616 | 56208 |
| 2020 | 451656 | 286251 | 154739 | 169602 | 99045 |
| 2024 | 565053 | 324007 | 199722 | 188266 | 112792 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Nigeria as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Nigeria
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Nigerians move to?
Most Nigerians have moved to USA, United Kingdom and Niger — these three countries account for about 52% of all Nigerians living abroad.
How many Nigerians live abroad?
Around 2.1M Nigerians live abroad, making it the #37-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Nigeria lives abroad?
About 1% of the population of Nigeria lives abroad — that's 2.1M out of a total population of 232.7M.
How has emigration from Nigeria changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Nigeria has grown from 1.4M to 2.1M people, a growth of about 54%.
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