MigrantoImmigrants in South Africa
2.6M foreigners live in South Africa — 4% of the country's population
Immigrants in South Africa by country
The 3 largest groups make up 67% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 1072620 |
| Mozambique | 412058 |
| Lesotho | 237718 |
| Malawi | 220437 |
| Ethiopia | 104402 |
| DR Congo | 57519 |
| United Kingdom | 55144 |
| Somalia | 42516 |
| Namibia | 34273 |
| Bangladesh | 30637 |
| Republic of Congo | 29093 |
| India | 27674 |
| Nigeria | 26707 |
| Zambia | 22946 |
| Pakistan | 17393 |
| Burundi | 12416 |
| Germany | 9935 |
| Eswatini | 9302 |
| Ghana | 8409 |
| Botswana | 8004 |
| Uganda | 7678 |
| USA | 6729 |
| Angola | 6354 |
| Tanzania | 6344 |
| Switzerland | 6305 |
| Kenya | 6208 |
| China | 6189 |
| Portugal | 5602 |
| Cameroon | 4916 |
| Italy | 4255 |
| Netherlands | 3911 |
| Rwanda | 3172 |
| Eritrea | 3109 |
| France | 3082 |
| Afghanistan | 2910 |
| Australia | 2653 |
| Belgium | 2630 |
| Ireland | 2575 |
| Egypt | 2476 |
| Canada | 1954 |
| Taiwan | 1876 |
| Poland | 1849 |
| Mauritius | 1725 |
| Senegal | 1664 |
| Austria | 1586 |
| Greece | 1558 |
| Bosnia | 1445 |
| Brazil | 1290 |
| British Virgin Islands | 1265 |
| Israel | 1106 |
| American Samoa | 1054 |
| New Zealand | 1026 |
| Algeria | 855 |
| Mali | 836 |
| Philippines | 824 |
| Argentina | 807 |
| Russia | 805 |
| Bulgaria | 766 |
| UAE | 762 |
| Thailand | 737 |
| Niger | 713 |
| Sweden | 710 |
| South Korea | 686 |
| Turkey | 675 |
| Cyprus | 661 |
| Gabon | 652 |
| Spain | 641 |
| Denmark | 594 |
| Saudi Arabia | 577 |
| Hong Kong | 576 |
| Ukraine | 556 |
| Indonesia | 532 |
| Estonia | 529 |
| Malaysia | 528 |
| Hungary | 525 |
| Iran | 499 |
| Singapore | 499 |
| Venezuela | 476 |
| Seychelles | 460 |
| Sudan | 459 |
| Cuba | 455 |
| Czech Republic | 452 |
| Japan | 450 |
| Serbia | 443 |
| Myanmar | 437 |
| Vietnam | 435 |
| Ivory Coast | 432 |
| Romania | 425 |
| Morocco | 417 |
| Martinique | 415 |
| Lebanon | 406 |
| Liberia | 384 |
| Nepal | 370 |
| Sri Lanka | 358 |
| Benin | 332 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 325 |
| Croatia | 323 |
| Guyana | 303 |
| Madagascar | 299 |
| Finland | 288 |
| Chile | 266 |
| Mexico | 261 |
| Western Sahara | 258 |
| Libya | 255 |
| Norway | 250 |
| Albania | 243 |
| Vanuatu | 230 |
| Yemen | 223 |
| Colombia | 220 |
| Guinea | 201 |
| Iceland | 189 |
| Malta | 174 |
| North Korea | 161 |
| Slovakia | 146 |
| Sierra Leone | 142 |
| Lithuania | 115 |
| Comoros | 108 |
| Latvia | 52 |
| Reunion | 51 |
By region of origin
91% of immigrants come from Africa
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Key facts
Immigrants in South Africa in numbers
96% of all emigrants from Lesotho live in South Africa
No other country has more people born in Lesotho.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
9 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Ethiopia, DR Congo, Somalia. Ethiopia climbed from outside the top 20 to #5.
Zimbabweans are the largest group by a wide margin
42% of all immigrants were born in Zimbabwe, while the next group accounts for just 16%.
People born in Malawi are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Malawi living in South Africa has grown 82% since 2015, from 121.3K to 220.4K.
More immigrants come from a single country than in 1990
The largest group's share rose from 20% to 42%, and today that group is people born in Zimbabwe.
The share of immigrants from Africa has grown since 1990
58.2% of immigrants came from Africa in 1990, compared with 91.2% today.
Immigrant population in South Africa over time
Foreigners living in South Africa, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 849483 |
| 1995 | 896010 |
| 2000 | 948046 |
| 2005 | 1343719 |
| 2010 | 1754293 |
| 2015 | 2283325 |
| 2020 | 2520936 |
| 2024 | 2574933 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in South Africa, by year
| Year | Zimbabweans | Mozambicans | Basotho | Malawians | Ethiopians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 89371 | 116573 | 126222 | 19462 | 12 |
| 1995 | 82695 | 274920 | 116921 | 12658 | 109 |
| 2000 | 116489 | 252569 | 114876 | 20543 | 698 |
| 2005 | 253785 | 310547 | 130208 | 43126 | 11887 |
| 2010 | 545405 | 374505 | 153913 | 73730 | 22273 |
| 2015 | 833530 | 403208 | 183120 | 121300 | 72207 |
| 2020 | 966487 | 413226 | 215957 | 177019 | 117442 |
| 2024 | 1072620 | 412058 | 237718 | 220437 | 104402 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in South Africa
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in South Africa
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in South Africa?
Around 2.6M immigrants live in South Africa — the world's #26 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of South Africa are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 4% of the population of South Africa — that's 2.6M out of a total population of 64M.
Where do most immigrants in South Africa come from?
Most immigrants in South Africa come from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho — these three countries account for about 67% of all immigrants.
How many Zimbabweans live in South Africa?
Around 1.1M Zimbabweans live in South Africa — about 42% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in South Africa growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in South Africa has grown from 2.3M to 2.6M, about 13%.
Where does the data on immigrants in South Africa come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in South Africa. Their children born in South Africa are not included.
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Living in South Africa
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