MigrantoSomali Diaspora
1.9M Somalis live abroad — the #42 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 56% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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 destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 61%
1.2M
377.5K
324K
34.7K
9.6K
5.5K
239
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Somalia.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 66% to 21%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Uganda is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Uganda has increased by 56% since 2015, rising from 41.6K to 65.1K in 9 years.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 86.3% to 61.2% since 1990.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
5 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: United Kingdom, South Africa, Turkey — United Kingdom rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 599233 |
| 1995 | 791721 |
| 2000 | 758781 |
| 2005 | 756046 |
| 2010 | 1237640 |
| 2015 | 1719780 |
| 2020 | 1701493 |
| 2024 | 1935594 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| 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 destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Somalia as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Somalia
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Somalis move to?
Most Somalis have moved to Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen — these three countries account for about 56% of all Somalis living abroad.
How many Somalis live abroad?
Around 1.9M Somalis live abroad, making it the #42-largest emigrant population in the world.
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.
How has emigration from Somalia changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Somalia has grown from 1.7M to 1.9M people, a growth of about 13%.
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