Number of Expats by Country: An Overview

The number of expats by country is steadily rising, and it will only continue to grow in the years to come. With globalization and the ever-growing digital age, more and more people are finding themselves taking on assignments or moving to new countries for work.

But before we dive into the numbers, we need to point out that many organizations and governments don’t make a distinction between the terms expatriate and immigrant. For this reason, the numbers are usually lumped together.

Now, if you want to get your hands on some fresh data, read on!

What Is the Exact Number of Expats by Country?

(William Russell – The World Expat Index)

Important Data on Expats by Country – Within and Without

Observing expat data from country to country shows that certain nations vary significantly in this area. This difference refers to both the number of expats currently residing within their borders and the number of a country’s citizens living outside them.

Bahrain has more than 900,000 expats within its borders. 

Bahrain is just one step behind the United Arab Emirates, among the countries with the highest expat population. In fact, 55.01% of the population is comprised of expatriates (around 936,100 people). 

The most common reason behind this number are the lucrative employment opportunities offered to residents.

(William Russell – The World Expat Index)

There are half a million Australian expats living abroad.

The expats living in Australia are the happiest, according to the Word Expat Index, with a score of 9.37 out of 10. As far as Australian expats are concerned, the expatriate statistics from the International Migrant Stock Report show that there are currently 527,255 Australians living outside the country.

(William Russell – The World Expat Index, U.N. International Migrant Stock Report)

Expats within Norway can hope for an average of $53,518 per year.

Of all the popular expat countries, Norway has the highest average annual salary, roughly 564,994 Norwegian Krone through the current exchange rate. So that’s something the 844,503 expats living there can look forward to if they work hard and get lucky.

(William Russell – The World Expat Index)

Roughly 5.6 million Italians live outside of Italy.

The 5,652,080 expats make up 9.5% of its population (59.2 million people). These numbers, which came from 2021, marked a 3% increase in expats when compared to 2020. Currently, the number has declined, most likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, roughly 15,000 American expats live in Italy at the moment.

(Infomigrants, HousingAnywhere)

Thailand boasts the lowest employment rate at 1.4%.

Unemployment rates in Thailand are incredibly low, with only 977,200 of its 70 million citizens being unemployed. That means that the 3,629,600 expats living within its borders most likely won’t have to worry about finding work.

(William Russell – The World Expat Index)

Roughly 9% of the total population of Canada lives abroad.

The American diaspora living in Canada amounts to over one million people. On the other hand, around 2.8 million Canadians call the rest of the world home. However, some estimates state that this number can be almost doubled. Namely, 5.5 million is the higher number, if you include those born abroad, to Canadian citizens.

(The Canadian Expat, Canadian Statistics)

Covid slowed down French expatriation by 5.1%.

In December of 2020, there were 1,685,638 officially registered French expatriates, 5.1% less than a year earlier. Furthermore, French organizations claim that there are roughly 3.5 million French expats around the world, since not all of them choose to register their status.

(International Citizens Group)

Around 1.36 million Japanese expats are scattered around the globe.

Of this number, 529,808 are permanent residents, most often because of marriage and other family-related reasons. Furthermore, the number of Japanese expats by country differs significantly. Of all the Japanese expats, a third (426,354) live in the United States, followed by China, which houses 111,769, and Australia, housing 97,532. 

(Mainichi)

Conclusion

Overall, the number of expats is on the rise. This can be an exciting opportunity for many people, but it can also be difficult to adjust to a new culture and way of life. If you decide to take the plunge, remember to do your research, and prepare thoroughly.

FAQ

Sources:

• U.N. International Migrant Stock Report

• The Association of Americans Resident Overseas

• William Russell – The World Expat Index

• World Population Review

• International Organiza0tion for Migration

• Mainichi

• Infomigrants

• The Canadian Expat

• Canadian Statistics

• International Citizens Group

• HousingAnywhere