MigrantoSudanese Diaspora
3.8M Sudanese live abroad — 8% of the population of Sudan
Sudanese diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 68% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Chad | 1071034 |
| Saudi Arabia | 895646 |
| South Sudan | 608817 |
| Egypt | 500000 |
| Uganda | 141990 |
| UAE | 124677 |
| Ethiopia | 88958 |
| Kuwait | 52783 |
| Libya | 40329 |
| France | 31621 |
| Yemen | 27455 |
| Qatar | 24580 |
| Oman | 22405 |
| Central African Republic | 22100 |
| Canada | 19383 |
| Australia | 17709 |
| Turkey | 15754 |
| Bahrain | 12550 |
| Lebanon | 11539 |
| Sweden | 10016 |
| Kenya | 9381 |
| DR Congo | 6115 |
| Norway | 5331 |
| Israel | 4918 |
| Iraq | 3881 |
| Italy | 3304 |
| Niger | 2286 |
| Greece | 2007 |
| Algeria | 1623 |
| Finland | 1388 |
| Denmark | 858 |
| India | 811 |
| Mali | 796 |
| China | 796 |
| Malta | 702 |
| Cyprus | 546 |
| South Africa | 459 |
| Indonesia | 444 |
| Malaysia | 301 |
| Hungary | 265 |
| Namibia | 220 |
| Syria | 216 |
| Eritrea | 163 |
| Luxembourg | 118 |
| Brazil | 79 |
| Bulgaria | 66 |
| Croatia | 57 |
| Ghana | 30 |
| Estonia | 26 |
| Slovakia | 20 |
| Slovenia | 19 |
| Iceland | 9 |
| Sierra Leone | 7 |
| Guinea | 5 |
| Latvia | 5 |
| Lithuania | 2 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
By region
66% of the diaspora lives in Africa
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Key facts
The Sudanese diaspora in numbers
The community in Egypt is growing fastest
The number of Sudanese living in Egypt has grown 1707% since 2015, from 27.7K to 500K.
The diaspora has grown 59% since 2020
The number of Sudanese living abroad rose from 2.4M to 3.8M in four years.
Most Sudanese abroad live in Chad
28% of the diaspora lives in Chad, while the next country accounts for just 24%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: South Sudan, Egypt, France. South Sudan climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
The share of the diaspora living in the Middle East has declined since 1990
52.6% of the diaspora lived in the Middle East in 1990, compared with 31.6% today.
1 in 13 people born in Sudan lives abroad
3.8M people born in Sudan now live in other countries — 7.5% of a population of 50.4M.
Sudanese diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 465978 |
| 1995 | 660265 |
| 2000 | 743460 |
| 2005 | 1119655 |
| 2010 | 1194477 |
| 2015 | 2209101 |
| 2020 | 2378503 |
| 2024 | 3786603 |
Largest communities over time
Sudanese living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Chad | Saudi Arabia | South Sudan | Egypt | Uganda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9529 | 142047 | 0 | 0 | 57470 |
| 1995 | 19071 | 183136 | 0 | 988 | 210776 |
| 2000 | 28613 | 193735 | 0 | 7069 | 240251 |
| 2005 | 247573 | 255574 | 0 | 23331 | 265185 |
| 2010 | 293205 | 453507 | 0 | 22156 | 89542 |
| 2015 | 320988 | 814458 | 562381 | 27669 | 89403 |
| 2020 | 372594 | 821780 | 587668 | 48506 | 107636 |
| 2024 | 1071034 | 895646 | 608817 | 500000 | 141990 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Sudanese in each country has changed since the selected year
Sudanese among immigrants in other countries
Where Sudanese make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Sudanese live outside Sudan?
Around 3.8M Sudanese live abroad, the world's #19 largest diaspora.
Where do most Sudanese abroad live?
Most Sudanese live in Chad, Saudi Arabia and South Sudan — these three countries account for about 68% of all Sudanese living abroad.
Which country has the largest Sudanese population outside Sudan?
Chad is home to the largest Sudanese community abroad — 1.1M people, about 28% of all Sudanese living abroad.
What share of the population of Sudan lives abroad?
About 8% of the population of Sudan lives abroad — that's 3.8M out of a total population of 50.4M.
Is the Sudanese diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Sudanese living abroad has grown from 2.2M to 3.8M, about 71%.
Where does the data on the Sudanese diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Sudan who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Sudan
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