A survey conducted by the Pan-African research agency, Afrobarometer, shows that almost half of the people living in the continent have considered emigration.
The findings mark a significant increase compared to the proportion recorded in 2016/2018, Afrobarometer noted.
While the desire to migrate appears to have increased in many countries, Tanzania stands out as the only country where emigration intentions declined.
“The most popular destinations for potential emigrants are North America (31%) and Europe (29%). However, nearly a quarter (22%) considered moving to another country within the region or elsewhere on the African continent.”
According to Afrobarometer’s findings, the primary motivating factors for emigrating are to find jobs and escape economic hardship.
On average – across 24 African countries surveyed in 2024 – almost half (47%) of respondents said they have considered moving to live in another country, including 27% who have given emigration “a lot” of thought.
The thoughts of emigrating are most common in Liberia (78%), the Gambia (68%), Cabo Verde (64%), and Ghana (61%). In contrast, very few Tanzanians (9%) expressed an interest in leaving their country.
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