Maps

Mapped: Immigration by Country, as a Percentage of the Population

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2022

Our World in Data

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Jenna Ross

Immigration by Country, as a Percentage of the Population

Many people move countries for work, study, or family. However, they may also be displaced by climate change, conflict, or economic instability.

There were 272 million immigrants in 2020, amounting to 3.5% of the global population. Where do they end up?

This interactive map from Our World in Data highlights immigration by country, as a percentage of the total population, using data from the United Nations (UN) Populations Division.

What Is an Immigrant?

The UN defines an immigrant as someone who has been living in a country other than their country of birth for one year or longer. In addition to new citizens or residents, a variety of people fit under this definition:

Foreign workers
International students
Refugees

The UN also includes estimates of unauthorized immigrants living in various countries. On the flip side, tourists, temporary workers, and overseas military personnel are typically not included.

Immigration by Country Over Time

With this definition in mind, here’s a breakdown of immigration by country as a percentage of the nation’s population.

Country	1990	2020	Absolute Change	Relative Change
Afghanistan	0.47%	0.37%	-0.10 p.p.	-20%
Albania	2.01%	1.70%	-0.31 p.p.	-16%
Algeria	1.06%	0.57%	-0.49 p.p.	-46%
American Samoa	45.18%	30.35%²	-14.83 p.p.	-33%
Andorra	71.35%	58.98%	-12.37 p.p.	-17%
Angola	0.28%	2.00%	1.71 p.p.	606%
Anguilla	30.59%	33.24%²	2.66 p.p.	9%
Antigua and Barbuda	19.24%	30.01%	10.77 p.p.	56%
Argentina	5.06%	5.05%	>-0.01 p.p.	>-1%
Armenia	18.62%	6.42%	-12.20 p.p.	-65%
Aruba	22.84%	34.52%²	11.67 p.p.	51%
Australia	23.32%	30.14%	6.82 p.p.	29%
Austria	10.27%	19.30%	9.03 p.p.	88%
Azerbaijan	4.98%	2.49%	-2.49 p.p.	-50%
Bahamas	10.48%	16.17%	5.69 p.p.	54%
Bahrain	34.93%	55.01%	20.09 p.p.	58%
Bangladesh	0.85%	1.28%	0.43 p.p.	50%
Barbados	9.21%	12.13%	2.93 p.p.	32%
Belarus	12.30%	11.29%	-1.01 p.p.	-8%
Belgium	12.80%	17.30%	4.51 p.p.	35%
Belize	16.21%	15.60%	-0.61 p.p.	-4%
Benin	1.54%	3.25%	1.71 p.p.	111%
Bhutan	4.49%	6.95%	2.46 p.p.	55%
Bolivia	1.07%	1.41%	0.33 p.p.	31%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.25%	1.10%	-0.16 p.p.	-12%
Botswana	2.14%	4.69%	2.55 p.p.	119%
Brazil	0.54%	0.51%	-0.03 p.p.	-5%
Brunei	28.29%	25.59%	-2.70 p.p.	-10%
Bulgaria	0.24%	2.65%	2.41 p.p.	992%
Burkina Faso	3.97%	3.46%	-0.50 p.p.	-13%
Burundi	6.13%	2.90%	-3.23 p.p.	-53%
Cambodia	0.43%	0.47%	0.05 p.p.	11%
Cameroon	2.26%	2.18%	-0.08 p.p.	-3%
Canada	15.73%	21.33%	5.59 p.p.	36%
Cape Verde	2.64%	2.84%	0.20 p.p.	7%
Central African Republic	2.40%	1.83%	-0.56 p.p.	-23%
Chad	1.25%	3.33%	2.09 p.p.	167%
Chile	0.81%	8.61%	7.79 p.p.	962%
China	0.03%	0.07%	0.04 p.p.	125%
Colombia	0.32%	3.75%	3.43 p.p.	1089%
Comoros	3.42%	1.44%	-1.98 p.p.	-58%
Congo	5.49%	7.02%	1.53 p.p.	28%
Costa Rica	13.39%	10.22%	-3.17 p.p.	-24%
Cote d'Ivoire	15.23%	9.72%	-5.51 p.p.	-36%
Croatia	9.95%	12.86%	2.91 p.p.	29%
Cuba	0.33%	0.03%	-0.30 p.p.	-92%
Cyprus	5.71%	15.77%	10.05 p.p.	176%
Czechia	1.07%	5.05%	3.98 p.p.	373%
Democratic Republic of Congo	2.18%	1.06%	-1.11 p.p.	-51%
Denmark	4.58%	12.39%	7.81 p.p.	171%
Djibouti	20.70%	12.12%	-8.58 p.p.	-41%
Dominica	3.58%	11.51%	7.93 p.p.	222%
Dominican Republic	4.08%	5.57%	1.48 p.p.	36%
Ecuador	0.77%	4.45%	3.68 p.p.	478%
Egypt	0.31%	0.53%	0.22 p.p.	72%
El Salvador	0.90%	0.66%	-0.24 p.p.	-27%
Equatorial Guinea	0.65%	16.44%	15.78 p.p.	2413%
Eritrea	0.53%	0.39%	-0.13 p.p.	-25%
Estonia	24.41%	15.02%	-9.38 p.p.	-38%
Eswatini	9.12%	2.83%	-6.29 p.p.	-69%
Ethiopia	2.41%	0.94%	-1.47 p.p.	-61%
Faeroe Islands	9.01%	10.96%²	1.95 p.p.	22%
Falkland Islands	42.69%	50.53%²	7.84 p.p.	18%
Fiji	1.82%	1.57%	-0.25 p.p.	-14%
Finland	1.27%	6.97%	5.70 p.p.	450%
France	10.41%	13.06%	2.65 p.p.	25%
French Guiana	54.35%	41.09%²	-13.26 p.p.	-24%
Gabon	13.50%	18.72%	5.22 p.p.	39%
Gambia	12.36%	8.92%	-3.44 p.p.	-28%
Georgia	5.63%	1.99%	-3.64 p.p.	-65%
Germany	7.51%	18.81%	11.30 p.p.	151%
Ghana	1.12%	1.53%	0.42 p.p.	37%
Greece	6.04%	12.86%	6.81 p.p.	113%
Greenland	16.71%	10.52%²	-6.19 p.p.	-37%
Grenada	4.43%	6.41%	1.98 p.p.	45%
Guadeloupe	18.72%	21.13%²	2.41 p.p.	13%
Guatemala	2.85%	0.47%	-2.38 p.p.	-83%
Guinea	6.35%	0.93%	-5.43 p.p.	-85%
Guinea-Bissau	1.58%	0.91%	-0.66 p.p.	-42%
Guyana	0.55%	3.96%	3.41 p.p.	619%
Haiti	0.27%	0.17%	-0.11 p.p.	-39%
Honduras	5.46%	0.40%	-5.06 p.p.	-93%
Hong Kong	38.73%	39.52%	0.78 p.p.	2%
Hungary	3.35%	6.05%	2.70 p.p.	81%
Iceland	3.76%	19.17%	15.41 p.p.	410%
India	0.87%	0.35%	-0.52 p.p.	-59%
Indonesia	0.26%	0.13%	-0.13 p.p.	-49%
Iran	7.61%	3.33%	-4.28 p.p.	-56%
Iraq	0.48%	0.91%	0.43 p.p.	89%
Ireland	6.49%	17.64%	11.15 p.p.	172%
Israel	36.70%	22.57%	-14.13 p.p.	-39%
Italy	2.50%	10.56%	8.06 p.p.	322%
Jamaica	0.85%	0.80%	-0.05 p.p.	-6%
Japan	0.86%	2.19%	1.33 p.p.	154%
Jordan	32.15%	33.89%	1.74 p.p.	5%
Kazakhstan	22.09%	19.88%	-2.21 p.p.	-10%
Kenya	1.26%	1.95%	0.70 p.p.	55%
Kiribati	2.99%	2.62%	-0.37 p.p.	-12%
Kuwait	51.27%	72.83%	21.55 p.p.	42%
Kyrgyzstan	14.25%	3.05%	-11.20 p.p.	-79%
Laos	0.54%	0.67%	0.13 p.p.	25%
Latvia	24.25%	12.69%	-11.55 p.p.	-48%
Lebanon	18.68%	25.09%	6.41 p.p.	34%
Lesotho	0.48%	0.56%	0.08 p.p.	16%
Liberia	4.58%	1.74%	-2.84 p.p.	-62%
Libya	10.30%	12.03%	1.73 p.p.	17%
Liechtenstein	37.88%	67.85%	29.97 p.p.	79%
Lithuania	9.45%	5.33%	-4.12 p.p.	-44%
Luxembourg	29.81%	47.62%	17.81 p.p.	60%
Madagascar	0.21%	0.13%	-0.08 p.p.	-38%
Malawi	11.99%	1.00%	-10.99 p.p.	-92%
Malaysia	3.86%	10.74%	6.88 p.p.	178%
Maldives	3.89%	12.96%	9.07 p.p.	233%
Mali	1.90%	2.40%	0.50 p.p.	26%
Malta	4.17%	25.99%	21.83 p.p.	524%
Marshall Islands	2.45%	5.57%	3.12 p.p.	127%
Martinique	10.77%	16.75%²	5.98 p.p.	55%
Mauritania	5.49%	3.92%	-1.57 p.p.	-29%
Mauritius	0.34%	2.27%	1.93 p.p.	564%
Mexico	0.83%	0.93%	0.10 p.p.	12%
Moldova	12.46%	2.59%	-9.88 p.p.	-79%
Monaco	69.17%	67.78%	-1.39 p.p.	-2%
Mongolia	0.31%	0.65%	0.34 p.p.	111%
Montenegro	12.58%¹	11.30%	-1.27 p.p.	-10%
Montserrat	18.76%	21.79%²	3.03 p.p.	16%
Morocco	0.22%	0.28%	0.06 p.p.	25%
Mozambique	0.94%	1.08%	0.14 p.p.	15%
Myanmar	0.32%	0.14%	-0.18 p.p.	-56%
Namibia	8.42%	4.30%	-4.11 p.p.	-49%
Nauru	29.61%	20.32%	-9.30 p.p.	-31%
Nepal	2.27%	1.67%	-0.60 p.p.	-26%
Netherlands	7.90%	13.76%	5.86 p.p.	74%
New Caledonia	22.20%	25.45%²	3.25 p.p.	15%
New Zealand	15.24%	28.65%	13.41 p.p.	88%
Nicaragua	0.99%	0.64%	-0.35 p.p.	-36%
Niger	1.44%	1.44%	>-0.01 p.p.	>-1%
Nigeria	0.48%	0.64%	0.16 p.p.	32%
North Korea	0.17%	0.19%	0.02 p.p.	14%
North Macedonia	4.77%	6.30%	1.54 p.p.	32%
Norway	4.53%	15.72%	11.19 p.p.	247%
Oman	16.78%	46.47%	29.69 p.p.	177%
Pakistan	5.77%	1.48%	-4.28 p.p.	-74%
Palau	18.59%	28.12%	9.53 p.p.	51%
Palestine	13.72%	5.35%	-8.37 p.p.	-61%
Panama	2.54%	7.26%	4.72 p.p.	186%
Papua New Guinea	0.73%	0.35%	-0.38 p.p.	-52%
Paraguay	4.64%	2.38%	-2.26 p.p.	-49%
Peru	0.26%	3.71%	3.46 p.p.	1345%
Philip.p.ines	0.25%	0.21%	-0.04 p.p.	-17%
Poland	2.97%	2.16%	-0.81 p.p.	-27%
Portugal	4.40%	9.83%	5.42 p.p.	123%
Puerto Rico	9.12%	7.59%²	-1.53 p.p.	-17%
Qatar	65.04%	77.27%	12.23 p.p.	19%
Reunion	9.47%	14.39%²	4.91 p.p.	52%
Romania	0.58%	3.67%	3.09 p.p.	534%
Russia	7.81%	7.97%	0.16 p.p.	2%
Rwanda	2.19%	3.97%	1.77 p.p.	81%
Saint Kitts and Nevis	7.97%	14.52%	6.55 p.p.	82%
Saint Lucia	3.84%	4.54%	0.70 p.p.	18%
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	19.69%	19.14%²	-0.55 p.p.	-3%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	3.69%	4.27%	0.58 p.p.	16%
Samoa	2.06%	2.03%	-0.03 p.p.	-2%
San Marino	13.72%	16.33%	2.61 p.p.	19%
Sao Tome and Principe	4.68%	0.98%	-3.71 p.p.	-79%
Saudi Arabia	30.79%	38.65%	7.86 p.p.	26%
Senegal	3.59%	1.64%	-1.95 p.p.	-54%
Serbia	1.04%	9.42%	8.38 p.p.	803%
Seychelles	5.27%	13.27%	8.00 p.p.	152%
Sierra Leone	5.14%	0.67%	-4.47 p.p.	-87%
Singapore	24.14%	43.14%	19.00 p.p.	79%
Slovakia	0.78%	3.61%	2.83 p.p.	362%
Slovenia	8.88%	13.37%	4.50 p.p.	51%
Solomon Islands	1.35%	0.37%	-0.99 p.p.	-73%
Somalia	6.62%	0.37%	-6.25 p.p.	-94%
South Africa	3.16%	4.82%	1.66 p.p.	52%
South Korea	0.10%	3.37%	3.27 p.p.	3238%
South Sudan	2.43%¹	7.88%	5.46 p.p.	225%
Spain	2.10%	14.63%	12.54 p.p.	598%
Sri Lanka	0.24%	0.19%	-0.05 p.p.	-22%
Sudan	6.96%	3.15%	-3.82 p.p.	-55%
Suriname	4.46%	8.15%	3.68 p.p.	83%
Sweden	9.21%	19.84%	10.63 p.p.	116%
Switzerland	20.93%	28.79%	7.86 p.p.	38%
Syria	5.74%	4.96%	-0.77 p.p.	-13%
Tajikistan	8.12%	2.89%	-5.22 p.p.	-64%
Tanzania	2.28%	0.71%	-1.56 p.p.	-69%
Thailand	0.94%	5.20%	4.27 p.p.	457%
Togo	2.25%	3.38%	1.13 p.p.	50%
Tonga	3.06%	3.54%	0.48 p.p.	16%
Trinidad and Tobago	4.15%	5.63%	1.49 p.p.	36%
Tunisia	0.46%	0.51%	0.05 p.p.	10%
Turkey	2.16%	7.18%	5.02 p.p.	233%
Turkmenistan	8.32%	3.23%	-5.09 p.p.	-61%
Tuvalu	3.57%	2.03%	-1.54 p.p.	-43%
Uganda	3.14%	3.76%	0.63 p.p.	20%
Ukraine	13.39%	11.43%	-1.97 p.p.	-15%
United Arab Emirates	71.46%	88.13%	16.67 p.p.	23%
United Kingdom	6.39%	13.79%	7.40 p.p.	116%
United States	9.22%	15.30%	6.08 p.p.	66%
Uruguay	3.15%	3.12%	-0.04 p.p.	-1%
Uzbekistan	8.10%	3.47%	-4.63 p.p.	-57%
Vanuatu	1.57%	1.06%	-0.51 p.p.	-33%
Venezuela	5.22%	4.66%	-0.56 p.p.	-11%
Vietnam	0.04%	0.08%	0.04 p.p.	93%
Western Sahara	0.97%	0.83%²	-0.14 p.p.	-15%
World	2.87%	3.60%	0.73 p.p.	25%
Yemen	1.01%	1.30%	0.28 p.p.	28%
Zambia	3.48%	1.02%	-2.46 p.p.	-71%
Zimbabwe	6.08%	2.80%	-3.28 p.p.	-54%

¹Data as of 2010 due to data availability
²Data as of 2015 due to data availability

Higher immigration levels are generally correlated with higher standards of living and advanced economies. For instance, North America, Europe, and Oceania all have a relatively high proportion of immigrants.

The United States is home to the largest number of immigrants—over 50 million—which now make up 15% of the country’s population. Since 1990, the proportion of immigrants in the country has continued to rise. As with most advanced economies, immigration has helped to counter a decline in fertility rates.

Over the last 30 years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has had the highest immigration by country, with 88% of its population being defined as immigrants in 2020. The country has the highest GDP per capita of any of its neighboring countries, and draws many migrant workers.

Meanwhile, South Korea has seen the largest relative increase in immigrants over the last three decades. Faced with the lowest fertility rate in the world and an aging population, the country has enacted policy reforms to encourage immigration, including a formal guest worker program and local voting rights for permanent foreign residents.

Integration or Separation?

Immigrants can help fill labor gaps and drive economic innovation in their new country of residence. Depending on their destination, they may benefit from things like higher pay, access to better education, and a more stable political climate.

Notably, countries respond to immigration in different ways. In one study measuring what governments are doing to integrate migrants, Sweden ranked at the top. The country offers non-EU citizens equal access to education, labor market rights and its social safety net, and it also has strong anti-discrimination laws.

On the flip side, immigrants may face challenges integrating into other countries. For instance, the UAE’s kafala (sponsorship) system is structured so that employment visas are granted by local individuals or companies rather than the state. This gives employers enhanced power over their workers, and in the past it has resulted in alleged human rights abuses.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

Related Topics:migrants immigration our world in data immigrants immigration per capita migrant workers foreign residents

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Maps

Mapped: The 10 U.S. States With the Lowest Real GDP Growth

In this graphic, we show where real GDP lagged the most across America in 2023 as high interest rates weighed on state economies.

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

Niccolo Conte

The Top 10 U.S. States, by Lowest Real GDP Growth

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

While the U.S. economy defied expectations in 2023, posting 2.5% in real GDP growth, several states lagged behind.

Last year, oil-producing states led the pack in terms of real GDP growth across America, while the lowest growth was seen in states that were more sensitive to the impact of high interest rates, particularly due to slowdowns in the manufacturing and finance sectors.

This graphic shows the 10 states with the least robust real GDP growth in 2023, based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Weakest State Economies in 2023

Below, we show the states with the slowest economic activity in inflation-adjusted terms, using chained 2017 dollars:

Rank	State	Real GDP Growth 2023 YoY	Real GDP 2023
1	Delaware	-1.2%	$74B
2	Wisconsin	+0.2%	$337B
3	New York	+0.7%	$1.8T
4	Missississippi	+0.7%	$115B
5	Georgia	+0.8%	$661B
6	Minnesota	+1.2%	$384B
7	New Hampshire	+1.2%	$91B
8	Ohio	+1.2%	$698B
9	Iowa	+1.3%	$200B
10	Illinois	+1.3%	$876B
	U.S.	+2.5%	$22.4T

Delaware witnessed the slowest growth in the country, with real GDP growth of -1.2% over the year as a sluggish finance and insurance sector dampened the state’s economy.

Like Delaware, the Midwestern state of Wisconsin also experienced declines across the finance and insurance sector, in addition to steep drops in the agriculture and manufacturing industries.

America’s third-biggest economy, New York, grew just 0.7% in 2023, falling far below the U.S. average. High interest rates took a toll on key sectors, with notable slowdowns in the construction and manufacturing sectors. In addition, falling home prices and a weaker job market contributed to slower economic growth.

Meanwhile, Georgia experienced the fifth-lowest real GDP growth rate. In March 2024, Rivian paused plans to build a $5 billion EV factory in Georgia, which was set to be one of the biggest economic development initiatives in the state in history.

These delays are likely to exacerbate setbacks for the state, however, both Kia and Hyundai have made significant investments in the EV industry, which could help boost Georgia’s manufacturing sector looking ahead.