In this article, we will be taking a look at the 30 countries with highest rates of emigration. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see the 5 countries with highest rates of emigration.
People have been migrating for centuries, and while the reasons may have changed to some extent, the practice has continued unabated. Nowadays, people generally migrate for better job opportunities or for better standards of living. Others may move to escape violence and oppression and move to countries where they can lead a more peaceful life, as evidenced by the countries with the most refugees in the U.S. According to the International Organization for Migration in its 2022 report, there are currently over 280 million migrants across the world, or around 3.6 percent of the global population, which means that while migration may be gaining popularity, the vast majority of people prefer to stay in their birth countries, even in a world as globalized as ours. However, this also shows that immigration is gaining more popularity with time, as in the 1970s, immigrants accounted for just 2.3% of the global population, which means that despite the rate of increase in population, the rate of increase in immigrants has been much higher. This also means that more developed countries see lower number of emigrants as the standards of living are already quite high.
However, immigration isn’t as easy as deciding to pack your bags one day in search for a better opportunity. Many countries have really strict policies and procedures for migrants to move, with many requiring firm job offers from reputed countries and means of being able to support themselves while staying in the new country. Because of the variation in strictness of migration policies between countries, people from the countries with the highest rates of emigration often end up settling in some specific countries, including the countries with the most immigrants such as the United States, which has over 50 million immigrants and Germany, which is the country with the most immigrants in Europe by far. It is also why the U.S., which has the most immigrants per capita in the world, is among the most immigrant friendly countries in the world. However, it is also why many illegal immigrants move to the U.S., especially impacting the 25 states with the most illegal immigrants.
Unsurprisingly, emigrants tend to be from countries where the economic situation is not very prosperous and in some cases, downright bleak, and hence, the preferred destinations for emigrants are more developed nations, with Europe being the most sought-after regions in the world for immigrants. Now, it is also important to remember that there are two types of immigrants; legal and illegal. Legal immigrants are those who follow due process and obey rules and regulations while illegal immigrants are those who circumvent the law and use different methods to sneak into a country, methods which are often dangerous and can lead to a lot deaths. Just a couple of months ago, a boat carrying over 750 immigrants and refugees sank off the coast of Greece, with only 104 people being found alive, which means that over 600 people died in this single instance alone, many of whom were from some of the countries with the highest rates of emigration. While in this case there have been allegations of some complicity from Greece authorities in the sinking of the boat, often times, human smugglers transport way too many people in boats by overloading capacity, making it a recipe for absolute disaster. At the same time, it is also important to remember that many such immigrants aren’t poor, but opportunities in their home country are so low, they are ready to give up everything for a new start.
While there have long been arguments against hosting immigrants, with many claiming that immigrants take away jobs and somehow, at the same time, don’t really contribute anything positive to the economy, thus increasing hostilities towards countries with the highest rates of emigration. However, actual, tangible evidence has proven otherwise. According to research by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, immigrants create much more jobs than they take, primarily because they are much more likely to engage in entrepreneurship as opposed to native residents. The study states “‘The question from a job-creation point of view isn’t just ‘Has someone started a business?’ says Jones. “A critical piece is ‘Is it a tiny business or a big business?’ Because if it just employs a few people, that’s not going to have a huge job-creation effect. But if we’re talking about Tesla (Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)) or Google (Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)), if we’re talking about large companies that grow to be large employers, then obviously the job-creation effect can be very strong.” Their analyses revealed that immigrants do start companies at higher levels than native-born Americans—and that this is true for both small companies and very large ones. This led the researchers to an intriguing conclusion. “Immigrants actually create more jobs than they take,” says Jones. Meanwhile, research by Brookings also indicated in 2017 that half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by American immigrants or their kid.
Methodology
To determine emigration rates by country and find out the nations with the highest emigration rates in the world, we headed over to dataset compiled by the United Nations, which has emigration numbers by country. We considered the total emigration numbers by country from 1990 to 2020, which is the latest year on record and ranked countries with the highest number of emigrants. These 30 countries alone accounted for over 60% of the total emigrants in the past 30 years.
30. Belarus
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 11,189,109
Belarusians have been fleeing their country after being ruled by Lukashenko, a dictator in all but name. However, this rate has increased even further in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus alleged to have provided active support. However, it is still interesting to note that the number of people who’ve moved from Belarus to other countries is actually lower now than it was in the 90s.
29. Uzbekistan
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 12,142,689
Family reunification and work opportunities abroad make up the overwhelming reasons why Uzbekistan is among the countries with the highest rates of emigration.
28. France
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 12,267,733
Working-age people and those with a higher level of education are overrepresented among French emigrants, even as recent years have seen a rise in the number of people leaving France for other countries.
27. Portugal
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 13,510,007
A 2016 study showed that emigration from Portugal was at its highest in the past 40 years, with most migrating within Europe, especially to the UK.
26. Myanmar
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 13,604,172
Myanmar’s military’s brutal repression of those living in the country has resulted in millions escaping the country to begin a new life somewhere with a better promise for peace.
25. Republic of Korea
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 13,666,726
South Koreans tend to move to countries all across the world, from various Asian countries to Australia and New Zealand to Europe to the U.S. While the country has continued to become economically advance, many still prefer to seek opportunities elsewhere.
24. Colombia
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 13,819,940
Till the early 2000s, most Colombian immigrants moved to the United States or in South American countries such as Ecuador or Venezuela, but this has now changed and Europe has become the preferred destination for many Colombians.
23. Egypt
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 15,678,329
Economic reasons are why around 80% of Egyptians want to leave their country, while other reasons include reuniting with family, pursuing education and even political reasons.
22. Romania
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 15,804,484
While Romanian migration numbers were quite low in the 1990s, they’ve picked up quite a bit since, handing it a place in our list of countries with the highest emigration rates.
21. United States of America
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 16,214,606
Despite being home to the highest number of immigrants in the world, many Americans also prefer to leave their country, with Aetna International stating that 26% move to Europe, ostensibly to have better access to public facilities such as free healthcare.
20. Vietnam
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 16,814,923
Studies have shown that its younger, male Vietnamese who are more open to moving abroad.
19. Morocco
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 17,274,400
Similar to most countries in our list, most young Moroccans cite economic chances as the main reasons behind considering migrating to other countries.
18. Syrian Arab Republic
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 18,764,373
Syria has the highest number of refugees in the entire world, and has been engulfed in a major civil crisis since 2010, resulting in the mass exodus of civilians, simply trying to escape with their lives.
17. Turkey
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 19,903,186
Turkey’s economic has taken a hit in recent years, while its currency has also depreciated heavily, which means that many of those employed in Turkey saw their savings fall considerable, convincing them to move abroad for better chances of increasing their wealth.
16. Italy
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 20,805,419
Initially, Italians used to emigrate all over the world, and particularly in the U.S., due to abject poverty. However, trends have changed and Italy is one of the few countries among those with the highest emigration rates in the world to have had less emigrants in 2020 as opposed to 1990.
15. Indonesia
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 20,838,283
According to The PIE News, over 70% of young Indonesians have though about emigrating, mainly to have access to better public services, more wealth and better career oppurtunities.
14. Poland
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 20,999,955
Even though Poland has continued to grow significantly over the past couple of decades, many Poles tend to move abroad in search for better career opportunities. However, if economic development continues in the same stead, with more and more corporations establishing hubs, people may prefer to stay in Poland rather than leave.
13. State of Palestine
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 21,449,382
That Palestinians emigrate in large numbers should come as no surprise; Israel’s brutal oppression of Palestine in full view of the entire world has been documented extensively, and Palestinians try their best to emigrate and live a more relaxed and peaceful life.
12. Germany
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 23,835,166
Even though it is home to the most immigrants in Europe, Germany is also one of the countries with the highest rates of emigration, with career and a desire for a different way of life dominating the main reasons for Germans to settle elswhere.
11. Kazakhstan
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 25,425,926
Better living conditions and higher wages are the main reasons cited by the International Organization for Migration on reasons why Kazakhs are leaving the country.
10. Philippines
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 27,526,889
Poverty is one of the biggest issues being faced by the Philippines, forcing residents to move to other countries in search of better job opportunities and a higher standard of living.
9. United Kingdom
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 29,047,982
Even though it is an in demand location for immigrants to Europe, millions of UK residents have left the country in the last few decades to settle elsewhere, with the current rates of inflation combined with relatively lower salaries pricing out many people.
8. Pakistan
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 30,782,701
Most Pakistanis leave the country in search of better opportunities especially because right now, the country’s economic situation has been pretty bleak, with Pakistan often coming close to a default. A lack of resources for a population of 220 million people has only exacerbated an already difficult situation.
7. Afghanistan
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 37,418,319
It is no surprise to see that Afghanistan is one of the countries with the highest rates of emigration, considering the fact that brutal violence has been a mainstay in the country for decades now, and this number will only have increased since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021 after the U.S. military left.
6. Ukraine
Total number of emigrants from 1990 – 2020: 39,681,120
While Ukrainian emigrants number in the millions in just the past one year due to Russia’s invasion, even before the war, Ukrainians were leaving their country even well before the war, but still with Russia playing a large part, as many Ukrainians moved after the annexation of Crimea and conflicts in Eastern Ukraine.
Click to continue reading and see 5 Countries with Highest Rates of Emigration.
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Disclosure: None. 30 countries with highest rates of emigration is originally published on Insider Monkey.