In this article, we will look at the 20 countries with the highest black population outside Africa.
When we talk about the black population outside Africa, the term ‘African diaspora’ is often used. The term diaspora refers to a dispersion of people, languages, or cultures in separate communities. In the context of African people, it refers to the involuntary and voluntary movement of African people and their descendants to different parts of the world.
Most of the dispersion of Africans in the past was involuntary. They came to the West as early as the 1500s as soldiers, servants, and slaves. The transatlantic slave trade was a web of slave commerce that had entangled Europe, America, and Africa by the time. As more and more Europeans came to the Americas to form long-term colonies, an increasing number of Africans came to these continents as slaves. The African region most affected by the transatlantic slave trade was Western Africa. Europeans had already formed trading posts in Africa long before. As their colonies began to grow, they started looking to Africa as a cheap source of labor. Eventually, they started capturing slaves through raids and wars. In addition, slaves were often brought to them by their African allies. This slave trade continued for more than 400 years and made more than 15 million men, women, and children its victims.
Today, people who identify themselves as Black Americans, make up for more than 14% of America’s population. The Black American population of the United States includes people who say they are black either alone or in combination with other ethnic backgrounds. An interesting thing to note here is that the black population of the United States has increased by more than 30% in the past twenty years, and among these, 7% are foreign-born. The Black population is younger than the overall American population. The median age of Blacks in the country is 33 years, whereas the median age of the total US population is 38 years. Regionally, the Black population is concentrated in the southern part of the United States, where more than 56% live. In addition, the state with the highest black population is Texas, followed by Florida. The median household income of Black Americans was $46,400 in 2021, with only three in ten making more than $75000 per year. In addition, about one-fourth of the Black population in the United States aged 25 and above have at least a bachelor’s degree. When it comes to religious affiliation, more than two-thirds of Black Americans identify themselves as protestants and only 6% identify themselves as Catholic.
While the African Diaspora around the world continues to face discrimination, they continue to break the glass ceiling. In 2022, Rihanna (who is renowned for her singing) became the youngest self-made female billionaire after the success of her makeup company, Fenty Beauty. In addition, some of the Black Americans, like LeBron James and Tiger Woods, have made their name in sports. Members of the Black population around the world continue to make their mark in their respective fields. Among them is Maya Angelou, who was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She is one of the most celebrated figures among all Americans. Among the list of most celebrated Black Americans, Nelson Mandela is at the top. He was a South African anti-apartheid activist and the first black head of state of the country. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing South Africa’s apartheid system during which he faced harsh conditions. However, these harsh conditions for 27 years were not enough to break his resolve as he eventually ascended to the position of President and led the abolishment of the apartheid system. With that in mind, let’s look at the 20 countries with the highest black population outside Africa. If you are wondering which country has the most blacks outside Africa or which European country has the highest black population, our list has all the answers for you.
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Methodology
To curate a list of the 20 countries with the highest black population outside Africa, we researched and shortlisted the top 30 countries with Black populations. Then we checked various online sources for the latest estimates of the black population in each country. For this article, we used various sources as no source alone gave us sufficient information. For each country, we have mentioned the latest black population estimate that we could find.
20 – Trinidad and Tobago
Black Population – 0.56 Million
Trinidad and Tobago is a Caribbean nation near Venezuela. African slaves were brought to the island in the 17th century. People of African origin make up the second-largest ethnic group in the country and represent more than 30% of its population.
19 – Germany
Black Population – 1 Million
Germany has one of the highest black populations in Europe. Most of the black population in the country is a result of immigration since 1981. People from all over Africa, especially Nigeria and Ghana migrated to Germany to seek work and study in German universities. Communities such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich have a high black population.
18 – Cuba
Black Population – 1.1 Million
Afro-Cuban population represents more than 9% of the total Cuban population. African people landed in Cuba as early as 1513, and many of the first Africans were forced to work in the mines of Cuba. The eastern part of Cuba and districts of Havana have a higher concentration of Afro-Cubans, compared to the rest of the country.
17 – Ecuador
Black Population – 1.1 Million
The Afro-Ecuadorian population is highly concentrated in the coastal province of Esmeraldas in northwestern Ecuador, where 70% of the black population in the country resides. Most of the Black people in Ecuador are descendants of enslaved Africans who came to Ecuador in the early 16th century.
16 – Venezuela
Black Population – 1.1 Million
While people with pure African ancestry make up less than 4% of Vanezuela’s population, many people in the country are mixed with African ancestry. Africans came to Venezuela in the eighteenth century as enslaved workers to work mostly on cocoa plants. While Afro-Venezuelans can be found throughout the country, the largest population is in the Barlovento region in Miranda.
15 – Italy
Black Population – 1.1 Million
Italy’s black population is mostly made up of migrants who come to the country for a better life. The country is one of the main destinations for Senegalese and Ghanaian immigrants. The black people of sub-Saharan Africa only started arriving in Italy in masses during the last 30 years. The black population of the country continues to grow with an increasing number of first-generation migrant families.
14 – Dominican Republic
Black population – 1.2 Million
People of African ethnicity make up 8% population of the Dominican Republic, making them a minority in the country. However, many citizens of African ancestry do not identify themselves as black because black people are discriminated against. A 2022 study by the United Nations on the Dominican Republic found that Black Dominicans face difficulties obtaining official documents and accessing education. The first black people were brought into the country by European colonists as slave workers.
13 – Spain
Black Population – 1.2 Milion
People of African origin have inhabited Spain since the pre-roman times. However, the a major influx of Africans into the country during the Islamic period. A considerable number of Africans also came to Spain involuntarily as slaves.
12 – Canada
Black Population – 1.3 Million
Canada has one of the highest black populations outside Africa. First blacks arrived in the country through underground railroads built by abolitionists and their allies to help enslaved Africans escape slavery. However, the majority of Africans came to Canada more recently as immigrants looking for a better life. Today, the Black population represents more than 4% of Canada’s population.
11 – Mexico
Black Population 1.5 Million
More than 2% of Mexico’s population has a significant African ancestry. The Africans first came to the country as slaves from other Spanish territories such as the Caribbean. The majority of Mexicans with African ancestry live in the Caribbean coastal regions of Oaxaca and Guerrero among other places in Costa Chica.
10 – United Kingdom
Black Population 1.5 Million
The United Kingdom is one of the 10 countries with the highest black population outside Africa. Black British make up more than 4 percent of its population. The first blacks ended up in the United Kingdom as enslaved people in the sixteenth century, which led to the growing presence of black people in the northern, eastern, and southern areas of London. Today, black British citizens are the largest ethnic minority in the country, and the largest black communities can be found in the UK’s port cities such as London’s East End, Liverpool, Bristol, and Cardiff.
9 – Jamaica
Black Population – 2.6 Million
Although Jamaica is 9th in the list of countries with the most black population outside Africa, it has one of the highest percentages of blacks. More than 90% of Jamaicans have a black ancestry. The first Africans came to the country as slaves, mostly from the regions of modern-day Ghana, Nigeria, and Central Africa.
8 – Peru
Black Population – 3 Million
Like most countries in this list, the first Africans arrived in Peru in the 16th century as slaves of European colonists. Today, it is estimated that Black Peruvians make up anywhere between 3 to 7 percent of its population. Afro-Peruvian people mainly live in the southern coastal regions, particularly the cities of Ica and Nazca, and they are an integral part of Peru’s cultural heritage.
7 -Saudi Arabia
Black Population – 4 Million
It might be surprising to see Saudi Arabia in the list of countries with the highest black population outside Africa. According to estimates, Afro-Arabians make up around 10% of Saudi Arabia’s population. The country’s African origins date back to the sixth and seventh centuries when Africans came to Saudi Arabia as Muslim migrants and part of the Arab slave trade.
6 -Yemen
Black Population – 4.4 Million
Yemen is an Arabic country with an overwhelming Afro-Arab population. The majority of the Africans came to the country as part of the Arabic slave trade. Yemen is located in Western Asia, occupies the southwestern and southern end of the Arabian peninsula, and shares maritime borders with African nations such as Djibouti and Somalia. This explains why the country has a high black population.
5 – Colombia
Black Population – 5.5 Million
Enslaved Africans came to Colombia in the early 16th Century through Cartagena, which was Columbia’s largest slave port. Today, Afro-Colombians are concentrated in the Northwest Caribean coast and Pacific coast of the country.
4 – France
Black Population – 7.5 Million
If you were wondering which European country has the highest black population, it is France. Exact figures of the percentage of the black population in the country are difficult to obtain because the government has made it illegal to collect the information of racial and ethnic origins of its multicultural population. However, it is estimated that around 5% of the country is black. Most of the blacks living in the country came through voluntary migration.