MigrantoYemeni Diaspora
2.5M Yemenis live abroad — 6% of the population of Yemen
Yemeni diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 91% of the diaspora
| 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 region
98% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Yemeni diaspora in numbers
Most Yemenis abroad live in Saudi Arabia
81% of the diaspora lives in Saudi Arabia, while the next country accounts for just 8%.
The diaspora is more concentrated than in 1990
The largest country's share rose from 61% to 81%, and today that country is Saudi Arabia.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Somalia, Malaysia, Ethiopia. Somalia climbed from outside the top 20 to #9.
1 in 16 people born in Yemen lives abroad
2.5M people born in Yemen now live in other countries — 6.1% of a population of 40.6M.
Yemeni diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 388323 |
| 1995 | 490575 |
| 2000 | 533500 |
| 2005 | 668381 |
| 2010 | 1199914 |
| 2015 | 2169838 |
| 2020 | 2240104 |
| 2024 | 2480734 |
Largest communities over time
Yemenis living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Yemenis in each country has changed since the selected year
Yemenis among immigrants in other countries
Where Yemenis 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 Yemenis live outside Yemen?
Around 2.5M Yemenis live abroad, the world's #31 largest diaspora.
Where do most Yemenis abroad live?
Most Yemenis live in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait — these three countries account for about 91% of all Yemenis living abroad.
Which country has the largest Yemeni population outside Yemen?
Saudi Arabia is home to the largest Yemeni community abroad — 2M people, about 81% of all Yemenis living abroad.
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.
Is the Yemeni diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Yemenis living abroad has grown from 2.2M to 2.5M, about 14%.
Where does the data on the Yemeni diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Yemen who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Yemen
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