MigrantoSomali Diaspora
1.9M Somalis live abroad — 10% of the population of Somalia
Somali diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 56% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Kenya | 401953 |
| Ethiopia | 389246 |
| Yemen | 285211 |
| United Kingdom | 119728 |
| Libya | 117956 |
| Djibouti | 99940 |
| Sweden | 74146 |
| Uganda | 65070 |
| Egypt | 50036 |
| Saudi Arabia | 48099 |
| South Africa | 42516 |
| Canada | 34668 |
| Norway | 32285 |
| Turkey | 27594 |
| Netherlands | 25826 |
| Finland | 14208 |
| Belgium | 12989 |
| Italy | 12642 |
| Algeria | 11773 |
| Denmark | 10486 |
| Austria | 9719 |
| Australia | 9578 |
| UAE | 9109 |
| Malta | 7128 |
| Greece | 4024 |
| Kuwait | 3671 |
| Tanzania | 2867 |
| Malaysia | 2767 |
| Eritrea | 1937 |
| Qatar | 1327 |
| Indonesia | 1170 |
| Syria | 1113 |
| Bahrain | 916 |
| India | 892 |
| China | 638 |
| Hungary | 557 |
| Iraq | 423 |
| Sudan | 311 |
| Eswatini | 309 |
| Brazil | 196 |
| Namibia | 103 |
| Malawi | 100 |
| Luxembourg | 89 |
| Seychelles | 64 |
| Iceland | 48 |
| Nicaragua | 39 |
| Bulgaria | 32 |
| Slovenia | 28 |
| Liechtenstein | 26 |
| Slovakia | 18 |
| Cyprus | 8 |
| Guinea | 4 |
| Estonia | 3 |
| Latvia | 3 |
| Bolivia | 3 |
| Lithuania | 1 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
By region
61% of the diaspora lives in Africa
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Key facts
The Somali diaspora in numbers
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 66% to 21%.
The community in Uganda is growing fastest
The number of Somalis living in Uganda has grown 56% since 2015, from 41.6K to 65.1K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
86.3% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 61.2% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: United Kingdom, South Africa, Turkey. United Kingdom climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
1 in 10 people born in Somalia lives abroad
1.9M people born in Somalia now live in other countries — 10.2% of a population of 19M.
Somali diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 599233 |
| 1995 | 791721 |
| 2000 | 758781 |
| 2005 | 756046 |
| 2010 | 1237640 |
| 2015 | 1719780 |
| 2020 | 1701493 |
| 2024 | 1935594 |
Largest communities over time
Somalis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Kenya | Ethiopia | Yemen | United Kingdom | Libya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7875 | 395548 | 36771 | 0 | 3917 |
| 1995 | 172164 | 319976 | 61684 | 8528 | 40088 |
| 2000 | 159197 | 177388 | 69757 | 38752 | 76918 |
| 2005 | 208156 | 37643 | 92022 | 61984 | 84783 |
| 2010 | 392063 | 86677 | 194353 | 97125 | 93040 |
| 2015 | 488470 | 263015 | 275683 | 108244 | 104178 |
| 2020 | 425284 | 204246 | 280940 | 114673 | 111588 |
| 2024 | 401953 | 389246 | 285211 | 119728 | 117956 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Somalis in each country has changed since the selected year
Somalis among immigrants in other countries
Where Somalis 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 Somalis live outside Somalia?
Around 1.9M Somalis live abroad, the world's #42 largest diaspora.
Where do most Somalis abroad live?
Most Somalis live in Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen — these three countries account for about 56% of all Somalis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Somali population outside Somalia?
Kenya is home to the largest Somali community abroad — 402K people, about 21% of all Somalis living abroad.
What share of the population of Somalia lives abroad?
About 10% of the population of Somalia lives abroad — that's 1.9M out of a total population of 19M.
Is the Somali diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Somalis living abroad has grown from 1.7M to 1.9M, about 13%.
Where does the data on the Somali diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Somalia who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Somalia
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