MigrantoPalestinian Diaspora
4.2M Palestinians live abroad — 80% of the population of Palestine
Palestinian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 82% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Jordan | 2379525 |
| Syria | 615119 |
| Lebanon | 490636 |
| Libya | 322909 |
| Saudi Arabia | 131779 |
| Egypt | 89239 |
| UAE | 54566 |
| Algeria | 32225 |
| Turkey | 24166 |
| Kuwait | 16524 |
| Iraq | 12337 |
| Sweden | 9407 |
| Canada | 9301 |
| Belgium | 8383 |
| Qatar | 5980 |
| Bahrain | 5501 |
| Greece | 4553 |
| Yemen | 3884 |
| Norway | 3806 |
| Australia | 3046 |
| Cyprus | 2536 |
| Ukraine | 1558 |
| Chile | 927 |
| Italy | 848 |
| Tunisia | 619 |
| Malaysia | 613 |
| Venezuela | 432 |
| Brazil | 429 |
| Peru | 368 |
| Panama | 304 |
| Hungary | 215 |
| Argentina | 215 |
| Malta | 209 |
| Indonesia | 206 |
| Mauritania | 188 |
| Honduras | 159 |
| Bulgaria | 114 |
| Finland | 79 |
| Slovakia | 59 |
| Guatemala | 53 |
| El Salvador | 47 |
| Iceland | 41 |
| Croatia | 37 |
| Luxembourg | 36 |
| Dominican Republic | 19 |
| Bolivia | 16 |
| Estonia | 11 |
| Lithuania | 8 |
| Kazakhstan | 7 |
| Slovenia | 6 |
| Latvia | 3 |
| Denmark | 0 |
By region
88% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Palestinian diaspora in numbers
1 in 1 people born in Palestine lives abroad
4.2M people born in Palestine now live in other countries — 80.0% of a population of 5.3M.
Most Palestinians abroad live in Jordan
56% of the diaspora lives in Jordan, while the next country accounts for just 15%.
Palestinian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1824634 |
| 1995 | 2368382 |
| 2000 | 2851675 |
| 2005 | 3445320 |
| 2010 | 3493678 |
| 2015 | 3797793 |
| 2020 | 4072904 |
| 2024 | 4233248 |
Largest communities over time
Palestinians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Jordan | Syria | Lebanon | Libya | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 929992 | 244707 | 301697 | 152266 | 77251 |
| 1995 | 1284533 | 289464 | 345968 | 179924 | 84669 |
| 2000 | 1575672 | 385199 | 376774 | 210540 | 92070 |
| 2005 | 1802413 | 442981 | 401675 | 232065 | 347939 |
| 2010 | 1962969 | 495785 | 427871 | 254662 | 119868 |
| 2015 | 2130871 | 573436 | 455535 | 285146 | 133482 |
| 2020 | 2289806 | 596357 | 477795 | 305476 | 130741 |
| 2024 | 2379525 | 615119 | 490636 | 322909 | 131779 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Palestinians in each country has changed since the selected year
Palestinians among immigrants in other countries
Where Palestinians 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 Palestinians live outside Palestine?
Around 4.2M Palestinians live abroad, the world's #18 largest diaspora.
Where do most Palestinians abroad live?
Most Palestinians live in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon — these three countries account for about 82% of all Palestinians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Palestinian population outside Palestine?
Jordan is home to the largest Palestinian community abroad — 2.4M people, about 56% of all Palestinians living abroad.
What share of the population of Palestine lives abroad?
About 80% of the population of Palestine lives abroad — that's 4.2M out of a total population of 5.3M.
Is the Palestinian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Palestinians living abroad has grown from 3.8M to 4.2M, about 11%.
Where does the data on the Palestinian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Palestine who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Palestine
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