MigrantoEmirati Diaspora
166.1K Emiratis live abroad — the #138 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 51% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Canada | 36578 |
| Kuwait | 28593 |
| India | 19941 |
| Australia | 17673 |
| Palestine | 14071 |
| Turkey | 12928 |
| Qatar | 10034 |
| Bahrain | 7139 |
| Mali | 3990 |
| Libya | 3130 |
| New Zealand | 2976 |
| Sri Lanka | 1707 |
| Italy | 1118 |
| Denmark | 915 |
| South Africa | 762 |
| Hungary | 729 |
| Kazakhstan | 724 |
| Norway | 685 |
| Bulgaria | 477 |
| Egypt | 432 |
| Finland | 303 |
| Iraq | 293 |
| Cyprus | 158 |
| Slovakia | 138 |
| Malta | 130 |
| Greece | 92 |
| Luxembourg | 89 |
| Mauritania | 78 |
| Lithuania | 64 |
| Estonia | 33 |
| Latvia | 30 |
| Slovenia | 24 |
| Belarus | 21 |
| Iceland | 17 |
| Liechtenstein | 2 |
| Bolivia | 0 |
By destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 44%
73.2K
36.6K
22.4K
20.6K
8.4K
4.9K
0
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from the UAE.
Canada is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Canada has increased by 69% since 2015, rising from 21.7K to 36.6K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 45% to 22%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has shifted from 77% to 44.1% since 1990.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Mali, South Africa, Hungary — Mali rose from outside the top 20 to rank #9.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 61137 |
| 1995 | 74060 |
| 2000 | 93827 |
| 2005 | 86261 |
| 2010 | 108381 |
| 2015 | 121499 |
| 2020 | 142981 |
| 2024 | 166074 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Canada | Kuwait | India | Australia | Palestine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 996 | 4697 | 8631 | 545 | 10629 |
| 1995 | 2423 | 5936 | 11062 | 882 | 10387 |
| 2000 | 5366 | 9112 | 13769 | 1393 | 10145 |
| 2005 | 9386 | 13847 | 18031 | 2818 | 13525 |
| 2010 | 14328 | 21476 | 23661 | 5215 | 13718 |
| 2015 | 21677 | 22465 | 22376 | 8122 | 14045 |
| 2020 | 28236 | 26077 | 20869 | 13588 | 14087 |
| 2024 | 36578 | 28593 | 19941 | 17673 | 14071 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
UAE as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from the UAE
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Emiratis move to?
Most Emiratis have moved to Canada, Kuwait and India — these three countries account for about 51% of all Emiratis living abroad.
How many Emiratis live abroad?
Around 166.1K Emiratis live abroad, making it the #138-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of the UAE lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of the UAE lives abroad — that's 166.1K out of a total population of 11M.
How has emigration from the UAE changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from the UAE has grown from 121.5K to 166.1K people, a growth of about 37%.
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