Maps
Mapped: Immigration by Country, as a Percentage of the Population
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.
Energy
Mapped: Renewable Energy and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
This graphic describes new U.S. renewable energy installations by state along with nameplate capacity, planned to come online in 2023.

Renewable and Battery Installations in the U.S. in 2023
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Renewable energy, in particular solar power, is set to shine in 2023. This year, the U.S. plans to get over 80% of its new energy installations from sources like battery, solar, and wind.
The above map uses data from EIA to highlight planned U.S. renewable energy and battery storage installations by state for 2023.
Texas and California Leading in Renewable Energy
Nearly every state in the U.S. has plans to produce new clean energy in 2023, but it’s not a surprise to see the two most populous states in the lead of the pack.
Even though the majority of its power comes from natural gas, Texas currently leads the U.S. in planned renewable energy installations. The state also has plans to power nearly 900,000 homes using new wind energy.
California is second, which could be partially attributable to the passing of Title 24, an energy code that makes it compulsory for new buildings to have the equipment necessary to allow the easy installation of solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging.
New solar power in the U.S. isn’t just coming from places like Texas and California. In 2023, Ohio will add 1,917 MW of new nameplate solar capacity, with Nevada and Colorado not far behind.
Top 10 States | Battery (MW) | Solar (MW) | Wind (MW) | Total (MW) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1,981 | 6,462 | 1,941 | 10,385 |
California | 4,555 | 4,293 | 123 | 8,970 |
Nevada | 678 | 1,596 | 0 | 2,274 |
Ohio | 12 | 1,917 | 5 | 1,934 |
Colorado | 230 | 1,187 | 200 | 1,617 |
New York | 58 | 509 | 559 | 1,125 |
Wisconsin | 4 | 939 | 92 | 1,034 |
Florida | 3 | 978 | 0 | 980 |
Kansas | 0 | 0 | 843 | 843 |
Illinois | 0 | 363 | 477 | 840 |
The state of New York is also looking to become one of the nation’s leading renewable energy providers. The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making real strides towards this objective with 11% of the nation’s new wind power projects expected to come online in 2023.
According to the data, New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that has no new utility-scale renewable energy installations planned for 2023. However, the state does have plans for a massive hydroelectric plant that should come online in 2024.
Decarbonizing Energy
Renewable energy is considered essential to reduce global warming and CO2 emissions.
In line with the efforts by each state to build new renewable installations, the Biden administration has set a goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The EIA forecasts the share of U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources rising from 22% in 2022 to 23% in 2023 and to 26% in 2024.
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