If you are planning on relocating, one of these top 11 immigration countries with highest foreign born population in the world may be a good choice.
In our previous article on top 10 countries with the highest immigration to the US, we wrote about America’s immigration only, and today we’ll take a look at the situation worldwide. Foreign-born population refers to people who have migrated from their country of birth to the country where they are currently living. If you consider the immigration statistics of the USA, it’s clear why America was referred to as the “melting pot.” As we have said in the said article, according to immigration statistics, there were about 47 million immigrants as of 2015, which is about 14.4% of the U.S. Population. The number has significantly risen since then, but it is not the only country in the world with such high immigration population. Countries in the Middle East and Europe rank pretty high on the list as well, as you will see in a few moments. Speaking of Europe, developed European countries are usually top immigration countries, especially Germany (one of the countries with the most immigrants per capita) and France, but they are not very easy to migrate to, at least not in recent years. We managed to create a list of 8 easiest countries to migrate to in Europe in case you’re interested in moving there.
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According to International Migration Report 2017, the number of international migrants worldwide continues to grow very fast reaching about 258 million in 2017. The report further states that in 2017, two-thirds of all international migrants were living in only twenty countries with USA, Saudi Arabia, and Germany at the top of the list. While 17 million of international migrants came from India in 2017, Mexico followed with 13 million. As for gender, international migrants in Africa and Asia are predominantly men, while female migrants outnumber male in Europe, Northern America, Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean, according to the same report.
The numbers we found while we searched for countries with highest foreign-born population usually include both nationals and non-nationals meaning that the term foreign-born encompasses both immigrants and expatriates. According to InterNations, the list of most common countries of residence for expatriates includes Germany, the USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and a number of other countries. Their statistics suggest that 12% of expatriates moved because they found employment in these countries on their own, which is also one of the most common reasons for relocating. The second reason (also 12%) moved for love or out of a desire to live in their partner’s home country. A much smaller percent of expats moved for education, about 5% while 2% of them wanted to retire in one of these countries.
For our list of top immigration countries 2017, we referred to already mentioned United Nations’ International Migration Report 2017, as it best reflects the current immigration situation in the world and contains world immigration statistics by country. But for the sake of covering both terms, immigrants, and expatriates, we decided to compare the two list in order to provide a better insight into the matter. In the same report you can find information on immigration by country of origin as well.
Here are the top 11 immigration countries with highest foreign born population in the world.
11. Italy
Migrant population: 5.9 million
Italy ranks 9th among the most common residencies for expats but 11th on our list of countries with the highest foreign-born population in the world.
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10. Spain
Migrant population: 5.9 million
Spain and Italy host approximately the same number of international migrants, which is why we ranked Spain 10th on our list. Curiously, this beautiful country is ranked 4th among the top destinations for expats.
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9. Australia
Migrant population: 7.0 million
With about 7 million of foreign-born people currently residing in this country, Australia ranks 9th on our list of top 11 immigration countries with highest foreign born population in the world. However, Australia is not listed among the top 10 popular destinations for expats.
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8. Canada
Migrant population: 7.9 million
When people move abroad, it is to seek a better opportunity for employment, education, etc. Canada is often the choice of international migrants, and so 7.9 million of them are currently in Canada.
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7. France
Migrant population: 7.9 million
Another European destination popular among expats and migrants is beautiful France. That is why almost 8 million foreign-born people live there. Interestingly, France also ranks 7th on the Expat Insider’s list. This is definitely one of the countries with most immigrants per capita.
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6. United Arab Emirates
Migrant population: 8.3 million
The United Arab Emirates comes 6th on our list but 8th on Expat Insider’s list of most common residencies for expats. With more than 8 million foreign-born residents, it certainly deserved its ranking.
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5. United Kingdom
Migrant population: 8.8 million
The United Kingdom is one of the most popular and one of the top countries with the highest foreign-born population in the world, and the numbers prove it. More than 8 million international migrants currently live in the UK.
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4. Russia
Migrant population: 11.7 million
Russia does not appear in the list for expats but according to the report, it hosts about 11.7 million of international migrants which is why Russia ranks fourth on our list.
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And now, let’s see which country has the most immigrants in Europe.
3. Germany
Migrant population: 12.2 million
A very popular European destination, Germany hosts about 12.2 million of international migrants which brings this country third on our list of top 11 immigration countries with highest foreign born population in the world. However, Germany is ranked first on the Expat Insider list of common residencies for expats, undoubtedly due to the high standards this developed country provides to its residents.
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2. Saudi Arabia
Migrant population: 12.2 million
Saudi Arabia seems to be a very popular destination for international migrants. Even though it ranked 10th among most popular residencies for expats, it comes second in the United Nations report of countries hosting the largest number of international migrants.
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In case you were wondering which country has the most illegal immigrants, just click next.
1. United States of America
Migrant population: 49.8 million
The United States remains the number one of the top 11 immigration countries with highest foreign born population in the world. With almost 50 million international migrants, it seems that it remains there for a while too. According to Expat Insider, USA comes second when it comes to common countries of residencies for expats.
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