MigrantoNigerian Diaspora
2.1M Nigerians live abroad — 1% of the population of Nigeria
Nigerian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 52% of the diaspora
| 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 region
38% of the diaspora lives in Africa
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Key facts
The Nigerian diaspora in numbers
The community in Sudan is growing fastest
The number of Nigerians living in Sudan has grown 140% since 2015, from 14.8K to 35.6K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
68.7% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 38.4% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
6 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Spain, South Africa, Australia. Spain climbed from outside the top 20 to #11.
Most Nigerians abroad live in the USA
27% of the diaspora lives in the USA, while the next country accounts for just 15%.
The diaspora has grown 18% since 2020
The number of Nigerians living abroad rose from 1.8M to 2.1M in four years.
Nigerian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 394107 |
| 1995 | 467021 |
| 2000 | 542140 |
| 2005 | 763991 |
| 2010 | 978678 |
| 2015 | 1359519 |
| 2020 | 1768444 |
| 2024 | 2094265 |
Largest communities over time
Nigerians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Nigerians in each country has changed since the selected year
Nigerians among immigrants in other countries
Where Nigerians 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 Nigerians live outside Nigeria?
Around 2.1M Nigerians live abroad, the world's #37 largest diaspora.
Where do most Nigerians abroad live?
Most Nigerians live in USA, United Kingdom and Niger — these three countries account for about 52% of all Nigerians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Nigerian population outside Nigeria?
USA is home to the largest Nigerian community abroad — 565.1K people, about 27% of all Nigerians living abroad.
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.
Is the Nigerian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Nigerians living abroad has grown from 1.4M to 2.1M, about 54%.
Where does the data on the Nigerian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Nigeria who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Nigeria
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