MigrantoImmigrants in South Africa
2.6M foreign-born residents — the #26 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 67% of all immigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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
Africa is the leading region of origin at 91%
2.3M
108.1K
93.8K
8.7K
5.8K
5.3K
4.4K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in South Africa.
South Africa is a primary destination for emigrants from Lesotho
South Africa attracts 96% of all emigrants from Lesotho, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
Top source countries have shifted significantly since 1990
9 new countries have entered the top 20: Ethiopia, DR Congo, Somalia — Ethiopia rose from outside the top 20 to rank #5.
Zimbabwe is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
Zimbabwe accounts for 42% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 16%.
Malawi is the fastest-growing major source
Immigration from Malawi has increased by 82% since 2015, rising from 121.3K to 220.4K in 9 years.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 849483 |
| 1995 | 896010 |
| 2000 | 948046 |
| 2005 | 1343719 |
| 2010 | 1754293 |
| 2015 | 2283325 |
| 2020 | 2520936 |
| 2024 | 2574933 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Lesotho | Malawi | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
South Africa as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in South Africa
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in South Africa?
Around 2.6M foreign-born residents live in South Africa, making it the #26-largest immigrant population in the world.
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 foreign-born residents.
What share 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.
How has immigration to South Africa changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in South Africa has grown from 2.3M to 2.6M people, a growth of about 13%.
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