MigrantoMigration trends in Uganda
Africa
Uganda takes in more people than it loses: 2M immigrants against 578K emigrants. Net balance +1.4M — 3% of the country's population
50M
Population
2M
Immigrants
578K
Emigrants
+1.4M
Inflow
1 in 25 residents of Uganda was born abroad — and 1 in 88 people born in Uganda lives abroad
#35 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Uganda
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
503.4K immigrants · 247.3K emigrants
1995
- Sudan overtook Rwanda as the largest source of new arrivals
- Surge of immigrants from Sudan — 153.3K new arrivals
2000
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora grew by 51%
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2010
- DR Congo overtook Sudan as the largest source of new arrivals
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
- Surge of immigrants from DR Congo — 81.8K new arrivals
- Immigration from Sudan declined sharply — 175.6K fewer migrants from there
2015
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
2020
- South Sudan overtook DR Congo as the largest source of new arrivals
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 122%
- Surge of immigrants from South Sudan — 696.2K new arrivals
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
Today
- Slipped out of the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Africa
- Since 1990: 1.5M more foreign-born residents and 330.8K more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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