MigrantoYemeni Diaspora
2.5M Yemenis live abroad — the #31 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 91% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1999619 |
| UAE | 192423 |
| Kuwait | 75513 |
| Jordan | 38858 |
| Qatar | 37285 |
| Israel | 34979 |
| Turkey | 21256 |
| Bahrain | 19392 |
| Somalia | 17680 |
| Egypt | 10716 |
| Libya | 6684 |
| Djibouti | 5600 |
| China | 4407 |
| Malaysia | 3228 |
| Ethiopia | 2503 |
| Algeria | 2404 |
| Iraq | 2049 |
| Palestine | 1411 |
| Australia | 1189 |
| Norway | 679 |
| India | 665 |
| Indonesia | 448 |
| Hungary | 436 |
| Greece | 296 |
| Finland | 263 |
| South Africa | 223 |
| Denmark | 220 |
| Bulgaria | 128 |
| Slovakia | 45 |
| Belarus | 31 |
| Nicaragua | 31 |
| Luxembourg | 22 |
| Estonia | 19 |
| Slovenia | 16 |
| Cyprus | 14 |
| Iceland | 2 |
| Latvia | 0 |
| Bolivia | 0 |
By destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 98%
2.4M
45.8K
8.7K
2.2K
1.2K
31
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is the primary destination for emigrants
Saudi Arabia attracts 81% of all emigrants from Yemen, while the second-largest destination receives just 8%.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 61% to 81%, with Saudi Arabia increasingly the primary choice.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Somalia, Malaysia, Ethiopia — Somalia rose from outside the top 20 to rank #9.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 16 residents of Yemen has emigrated — 2.5M out of 40.6M, representing 6.1% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 388323 |
| 1995 | 490575 |
| 2000 | 533500 |
| 2005 | 668381 |
| 2010 | 1199914 |
| 2015 | 2169838 |
| 2020 | 2240104 |
| 2024 | 2480734 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Saudi Arabia | UAE | Kuwait | Jordan | Qatar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 238364 | 44368 | 35822 | 2235 | 7309 |
| 1995 | 321876 | 56149 | 29620 | 2358 | 9713 |
| 2000 | 342915 | 70674 | 32991 | 2481 | 12975 |
| 2005 | 458347 | 80922 | 36532 | 4506 | 15651 |
| 2010 | 896775 | 128472 | 47623 | 17290 | 32491 |
| 2015 | 1779422 | 161805 | 59326 | 30074 | 43192 |
| 2020 | 1809639 | 169470 | 68867 | 35268 | 34812 |
| 2024 | 1999619 | 192423 | 75513 | 38858 | 37285 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Yemen as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Yemen
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Yemenis move to?
Most Yemenis have moved to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait — these three countries account for about 91% of all Yemenis living abroad.
How many Yemenis live abroad?
Around 2.5M Yemenis live abroad, making it the #31-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Yemen lives abroad?
About 6% of the population of Yemen lives abroad — that's 2.5M out of a total population of 40.6M.
How has emigration from Yemen changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Yemen has grown from 2.2M to 2.5M people, a growth of about 14%.
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