MigrantoMigration trends in South Africa
Africa
South Africa takes in more people than it loses: 2.6M immigrants against 1M emigrants. Net balance +1.6M — 2% of the country's population
64M
Population
2.6M
Immigrants
1M
Emigrants
+1.6M
Inflow
1 in 25 residents of South Africa was born abroad — and 1 in 65 people born in South Africa lives abroad
#26 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in South Africa
Where people come from
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 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 passed 1M people
- Since 1990: 1.7M more foreign-born residents and 710.4K more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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