MigrantoMigration trends in South Africa
Africa
2.6M people from around the world have made South Africa their home. That's 4.0% of the country population, arriving from 119 different countries
64M
Population
2.6M
Immigrants
1M
Emigrants
+1.6M
Inflow
1 in every 25 people in South Africa was born abroad
The #26 largest immigrant destination worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in South Africa
Where people move to
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
849.5K immigrants · 295.4K emigrants
1995
- Mozambique overtook United Kingdom as the largest source of new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Mozambique — 158.3K new arrivals
2000
- Rose into the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Africa
2005
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 42%
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
- The diaspora abroad passed 500K people
2010
- Zimbabwe overtook Mozambique as the largest source of new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Zimbabwe — 291.6K new arrivals
Today
- The diaspora abroad passed 1M people
- Since 1990: 1.7M more foreign-born residents and 710.4K more citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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