List of sovereign states and dependent territories by immigrant population
These are lists of countries by foreign-born population (immigrants) and lists of countries by number native-born persons living in a foreign country (emigrants).
According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States, Germany, and Saudi Arabia had the largest number of immigrants of any country, while Tuvalu, Saint Helena, and Tokelau had the lowest. In terms of percentage of population, the Vatican City, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar had the highest, while Cuba, Madagascar, and China had the lowest.
According to estimates from the same UN 2015 report, in 2013, India and Mexico had the highest numbers of native-born persons living in a foreign country, while Tokelau and San Marino had the lowest.
Definition
The United Nations defines "foreign-born" as "born in a country other than that in which one resides" to estimate the international migrant stock, whenever this information is available. In countries lacking data on place of birth, the UN uses the country of citizenship instead.[1]
According to the UN: "Equating international migrants with foreign citizens when estimating the migrant stock has important shortcomings. In countries where citizenship is conferred on the basis of jus sanguinis, people who were born in the country of residence may be included in the number of international migrants even though they may have never lived abroad. Conversely, persons who were born abroad and who naturalized in their country of residence are excluded from the stock of international migrants when using citizenship as the criterion to define international migrants."[1]
UN 2019 report: immigrant population
Major area, region, country or area of destination | International migrant stock at mid-year (both sexes) 2019 | International migrant stock as a percentage of the total population (both sexes) 2019 |
---|---|---|
WORLD | 271,642,105 | 3.5 |
UN development groups | .. | .. |
More developed regions | 152,069,261 | 12.0 |
Less developed regions | 119,572,844 | 1.9 |
Least developed countries | 16,289,023 | 1.6 |
Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries | 103,283,821 | 1.9 |
World Bank income groups | .. | .. |
High-income countries | 175,811,829 | 14.0 |
Middle-income countries | 82,237,681 | 1.4 |
Upper-middle-income countries | 54,279,436 | 2.1 |
Lower-middle-income countries | 27,958,245 | 0.9 |
Low-income countries | 13,072,099 | 1.7 |
No income group available | 520,496 | 17.9 |
Geographic regions | .. | .. |
Africa | 26,529,334 | 2.0 |
Asia | 83,559,197 | 1.8 |
Europe | 82,304,539 | 11.0 |
Latin America and the Caribbean | 11,673,288 | 1.8 |
Northern America | 58,647,822 | 16.0 |
Oceania | 8,927,925 | 21.2 |
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) regions | .. | .. |
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA | 23,573,485 | 2.2 |
Eastern Africa | 7,908,176 | 1.8 |
![]() | 321,018 | 2.8 |
![]() | 12,504 | 1.5 |
![]() | 115,341 | 11.8 |
![]() | 16,101 | 0.5 |
![]() | 1,253,083 | 1.1 |
![]() | 1,044,854 | 2.0 |
![]() | 34,934 | 0.1 |
![]() | 247,652 | 1.3 |
![]() | 28,849 | 2.3 |
![]() | 74,643 | 28.0 |
![]() | 334,665 | 1.1 |
![]() | 129,153 | 14.5 |
![]() | 539,932 | 4.3 |
![]() | 12,926 | 13.2 |
![]() | 52,131 | 0.3 |
![]() | 865,552 | 7.8 |
![]() | 1,734,166 | 3.9 |
![]() | 509,166 | 0.9 |
![]() | 170,249 | 1.0 |
![]() | 411,257 | 2.8 |
Middle Africa | 3,785,279 | 2.2 |
![]() | 669,479 | 2.1 |
![]() | 505,692 | 2.0 |
![]() | 90,649 | 1.9 |
![]() | 512,230 | 3.2 |
![]() | 402,142 | 7.5 |
![]() | 963,833 | 1.1 |
![]() | 227,617 | 16.8 |
![]() | 411,463 | 18.9 |
![]() | 2,174 | 1.0 |
Southern Africa | 4,481,651 | 6.7 |
![]() | 110,596 | 4.8 |
![]() | 32,310 | 2.8 |
![]() | 6,928 | 0.3 |
![]() | 107,561 | 4.3 |
![]() | 4,224,256 | 7.2 |
Western Africa | 7,398,379 | 1.9 |
![]() | 390,112 | 3.3 |
![]() | 718,338 | 3.5 |
![]() | 15,664 | 2.8 |
![]() | 2,549,141 | 9.9 |
![]() | 215,406 | 9.2 |
![]() | 466,780 | 1.5 |
![]() | 120,642 | 0.9 |
![]() | 26,916 | 1.4 |
![]() | 94,448 | 1.9 |
![]() | 468,230 | 2.4 |
![]() | 172,987 | 3.8 |
![]() | 294,161 | 1.3 |
![]() | 1,256,408 | 0.6 |
![]() | 433 | 7.1 |
![]() | 275,239 | 1.7 |
![]() | 54,332 | 0.7 |
![]() | 279,142 | 3.5 |
NORTHERN AFRICA AND WESTERN ASIA | 48,591,390 | 9.4 |
Northern Africa | 2,955,849 | 1.2 |
![]() | 249,075 | 0.6 |
![]() | 504,053 | 0.5 |
![]() | 818,216 | 12.1 |
![]() | 98,574 | 0.3 |
![]() | 1,223,092 | 2.9 |
![]() | 57,455 | 0.5 |
![]() | 5,384 | 0.9 |
Western Asia | 45,635,541 | 16.6 |
![]() | 190,159 | 6.4 |
![]() | 253,887 | 2.5 |
![]() | 741,161 | 45.2 |
![]() | 191,922 | 16.0 |
![]() | 79,035 | 2.0 |
![]() | 368,062 | 0.9 |
![]() | 1,956,346 | 23.0 |
![]() | 3,346,703 | 33.1 |
![]() | 3,034,845 | 72.1 |
![]() | 1,863,873 | 27.2 |
![]() | 2,286,226 | 46.0 |
![]() | 2,229,688 | 78.7 |
![]() | 13,122,338 | 38.3 |
![]() | 253,735 | 5.1 |
![]() | 867,848 | 5.1 |
![]() | 5,876,829 | 7.0 |
![]() | 8,587,256 | 87.9 |
![]() | 385,628 | 1.3 |
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ASIA | 19,627,025 | 1.0 |
Central Asia | 5,543,398 | 7.6 |
![]() | 3,705,556 | 20.0 |
![]() | 200,260 | 3.1 |
![]() | 274,071 | 2.9 |
![]() | 195,127 | 3.3 |
![]() | 1,168,384 | 3.5 |
Southern Asia | 14,083,627 | 0.7 |
![]() | 149,762 | 0.4 |
![]() | 2,185,613 | 1.3 |
![]() | 53,254 | 7.0 |
![]() | 5,154,737 | 0.4 |
![]() | 2,682,214 | 3.2 |
![]() | 69,249 | 13.0 |
![]() | 490,802 | 1.7 |
![]() | 3,257,978 | 1.5 |
![]() | 40,018 | 0.2 |
EASTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN ASIA | 18,296,631 | 0.8 |
Eastern Asia | 8,105,764 | 0.5 |
![]() | 1,030,871 | 0.1 |
![]() | 2,942,254 | 39.6 |
![]() | 399,572 | 62.4 |
![]() | 49,393 | 0.2 |
![]() | 2,498,891 | 2.0 |
![]() | 21,128 | 0.7 |
![]() | 1,163,655 | 2.3 |
South-Eastern Asia | 10,190,867 | 1.5 |
![]() | 110,641 | 25.5 |
![]() | 78,649 | 0.5 |
![]() | 353,135 | 0.1 |
![]() | 48,275 | 0.7 |
![]() | 3,430,380 | 10.7 |
![]() | 75,998 | 0.1 |
![]() | 218,530 | 0.2 |
![]() | 2,155,653 | 37.1 |
![]() | 3,635,085 | 5.2 |
![]() | 8,417 | 0.7 |
![]() | 76,104 | 0.1 |
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN | 11,673,288 | 1.8 |
![]() | 1,524,793 | 3.5 |
![]() | 5,679 | 38.2 |
![]() | 29,207 | 30.1 |
![]() | 36,532 | 34.4 |
![]() | 62,962 | 16.2 |
![]() | 34,807 | 12.1 |
![]() | 20,778 | 69.2 |
![]() | 15,484 | 59.6 |
![]() | 28,985 | 44.6 |
![]() | 4,886 | 0.0 |
![]() | 40,883 | 25.0 |
![]() | 8,264 | 11.5 |
![]() | 567,648 | 5.3 |
![]() | 7,124 | 6.4 |
![]() | 100,030 | 22.3 |
![]() | 18,756 | 0.2 |
![]() | 23,468 | 0.8 |
![]() | 61,647 | 16.4 |
![]() | 1,375 | 27.6 |
![]() | 266,828 | 9.1 |
![]() | 7,587 | 14.4 |
![]() | 8,383 | 4.6 |
![]() | 4,692 | 4.2 |
![]() | 28,260 | 66.7 |
![]() | 59,249 | 4.2 |
![]() | 24,534 | 64.2 |
![]() | 56,745 | 54.3 |
![]() | 1,927,688 | 1.1 |
![]() | 59,998 | 15.4 |
![]() | 417,768 | 8.3 |
![]() | 42,617 | 0.7 |
![]() | 80,421 | 0.5 |
![]() | 38,933 | 0.4 |
![]() | 1,060,707 | 0.8 |
![]() | 42,172 | 0.6 |
![]() | 185,072 | 4.4 |
South America | 8,220,807 | 1.9 |
![]() | 2,212,879 | 4.9 |
![]() | 156,114 | 1.4 |
![]() | 807,006 | 0.4 |
![]() | 939,992 | 5.0 |
![]() | 1,142,319 | 2.3 |
![]() | 381,507 | 2.2 |
![]() | 1,902 | 56.3 |
![]() | 117,372 | 40.4 |
![]() | 15,699 | 2.0 |
![]() | 160,519 | 2.3 |
![]() | 782,169 | 2.4 |
![]() | 46,157 | 7.9 |
![]() | 81,482 | 2.4 |
![]() | 1,375,690 | 4.8 |
OCEANIA | 8,927,925 | 21.2 |
Australia / New Zealand | 8,618,009 | 28.7 |
![]() | 7,549,270 | 30.0 |
![]() | 1,068,739 | 22.3 |
Melanesia | 123,564 | 1.1 |
![]() | 14,038 | 1.6 |
![]() | 72,537 | 25.7 |
![]() | 31,212 | 0.4 |
![]() | 2,532 | 0.4 |
![]() | 3,245 | 1.1 |
![]() | 117,978 | 21.7 |
![]() | 79,846 | 47.7 |
![]() | 3,022 | 2.6 |
![]() | 3,296 | 5.6 |
![]() | 2,819 | 2.5 |
![]() | 2,114 | 19.7 |
![]() | 21,815 | 38.1 |
![]() | 5,066 | 28.1 |
Polynesia | 68,374 | 10.1 |
![]() | 23,539 | 42.6 |
![]() | 3,491 | 19.9 |
![]() | 31,205 | 11.2 |
![]() | 588 | 36.4 |
![]() | 4,035 | 2.0 |
![]() | 504 | 37.6 |
![]() | 3,752 | 3.6 |
![]() | 238 | 2.0 |
![]() | 1,022 | 8.9 |
EUROPE AND NORTHERN AMERICA | 140,952,361 | 12.7 |
EUROPE | 82,304,539 | 11.0 |
Eastern Europe | 20,278,745 | 6.9 |
![]() | 1,069,395 | 11.3 |
![]() | 168,516 | 2.4 |
![]() | 512,705 | 4.8 |
![]() | 512,043 | 5.3 |
![]() | 655,985 | 1.7 |
![]() | 104,713 | 2.6 |
![]() | 462,552 | 2.4 |
![]() | 11,640,559 | 8.0 |
![]() | 187,984 | 3.4 |
![]() | 4,964,293 | 11.3 |
Northern Europe | 15,094,924 | 14.3 |
Channel Islands | 83,833 | 48.7 |
![]() | 722,878 | 12.5 |
![]() | 190,242 | 14.4 |
![]() | 6,454 | 13.3 |
![]() | 383,116 | 6.9 |
![]() | 52,404 | 15.5 |
![]() | 833,564 | 17.1 |
![]() | 42,864 | 50.7 |
![]() | 237,266 | 12.4 |
![]() | 117,218 | 4.2 |
![]() | 867,765 | 16.1 |
![]() | 2,005,210 | 20.0 |
![]() | 9,552,110 | 14.1 |
Southern Europe | 16,503,552 | 10.8 |
![]() | 49,160 | 1.7 |
![]() | 45,102 | 58.5 |
![]() | 35,735 | 1.1 |
![]() | 518,083 | 12.5 |
![]() | 11,172 | 33.2 |
![]() | 1,211,382 | 11.6 |
![]() | 799 | 100.0 |
![]() | 6,273,722 | 10.4 |
![]() | 84,949 | 19.3 |
![]() | 70,967 | 11.3 |
![]() | 131,175 | 6.3 |
![]() | 888,162 | 8.7 |
![]() | 5,507 | 16.3 |
![]() | 820,312 | 9.4 |
![]() | 253,122 | 12.2 |
![]() | 6,104,203 | 13.1 |
Western Europe | 30,427,318 | 15.6 |
![]() | 1,779,857 | 19.9 |
![]() | 1,981,919 | 17.2 |
![]() | 8,334,875 | 12.8 |
![]() | 13,132,146 | 15.7 |
![]() | 25,467 | 67.0 |
![]() | 291,723 | 47.4 |
![]() | 26,511 | 68.0 |
![]() | 2,282,791 | 13.4 |
![]() | 2,572,029 | 29.9 |
NORTHERN AMERICA | 58,647,822 | 16.0 |
![]() | 19,336 | 30.9 |
![]() | 7,960,657 | 21.3 |
![]() | 5,690 | 10.0 |
![]() | 990 | 17.0 |
![]() | 50,661,149 | 15.4 |