MigrantoSaudi Diaspora
236.7K Saudis live abroad — the #127 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 58% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 61221 |
| Libya | 40027 |
| Canada | 35996 |
| Palestine | 24923 |
| Australia | 14397 |
| India | 10381 |
| Indonesia | 8877 |
| Sweden | 8610 |
| UAE | 6157 |
| Algeria | 3992 |
| Egypt | 3490 |
| Kuwait | 2406 |
| Mali | 1906 |
| Senegal | 1513 |
| Venezuela | 1454 |
| Italy | 1449 |
| Sri Lanka | 1432 |
| Norway | 1072 |
| Qatar | 956 |
| Iraq | 690 |
| Bahrain | 619 |
| South Africa | 577 |
| Finland | 570 |
| Denmark | 563 |
| Hungary | 532 |
| Greece | 459 |
| Brazil | 386 |
| Mauritania | 357 |
| China | 276 |
| Cyprus | 243 |
| Colombia | 213 |
| Mexico | 204 |
| Bulgaria | 191 |
| Malta | 134 |
| Panama | 90 |
| Luxembourg | 68 |
| Slovakia | 52 |
| Guatemala | 35 |
| Slovenia | 29 |
| Guinea | 27 |
| Iceland | 27 |
| Costa Rica | 19 |
| Estonia | 18 |
| Dominican Republic | 18 |
| Bolivia | 16 |
| Lithuania | 15 |
| Latvia | 12 |
By destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 41%
97.2K
51.9K
36K
21K
14.4K
13.8K
2.4K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Saudi Arabia.
Turkey is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Turkey has increased by 350% since 2015, rising from 13.6K to 61.2K in 9 years.
Turkey is the primary destination for emigrants
Turkey attracts 26% of all emigrants from Saudi Arabia, while the second-largest destination receives just 17%.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Mali, Italy, Sri Lanka — Mali rose from outside the top 20 to rank #13.
The share of emigrants going to North America has grown since 1990
The share of emigrants going to North America has shifted from 1.9% to 15.2% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 73557 |
| 1995 | 91112 |
| 2000 | 113266 |
| 2005 | 110937 |
| 2010 | 143733 |
| 2015 | 159958 |
| 2020 | 215551 |
| 2024 | 236699 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Turkey | Libya | Canada | Palestine | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3312 | 12976 | 1426 | 21258 | 599 |
| 1995 | 3838 | 19379 | 3403 | 20773 | 965 |
| 2000 | 4363 | 26101 | 7439 | 20289 | 1525 |
| 2005 | 7122 | 28771 | 11205 | 20238 | 2969 |
| 2010 | 10027 | 31573 | 20892 | 23955 | 12383 |
| 2015 | 13612 | 35352 | 28250 | 24094 | 14386 |
| 2020 | 51517 | 37866 | 29531 | 24951 | 14974 |
| 2024 | 61221 | 40027 | 35996 | 24923 | 14397 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Saudi Arabia as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Saudi Arabia
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Saudis move to?
Most Saudis have moved to Turkey, Libya and Canada — these three countries account for about 58% of all Saudis living abroad.
How many Saudis live abroad?
Around 236.7K Saudis live abroad, making it the #127-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Saudi Arabia lives abroad?
About 1% of the population of Saudi Arabia lives abroad — that's 236.7K out of a total population of 35.3M.
How has emigration from Saudi Arabia changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Saudi Arabia has grown from 160K to 236.7K people, a growth of about 48%.
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