By the Africa Center for Strategic Studies

January 30, 2023

Most migration in Africa is directed towards the economic centers of the continent, a trend that is expected to continue with the growing integration of regional economies.

Dynamism, a persistent feature of African migration

African migration has been on an upward trend for 20 years. The record high of 40 million African migrants represents a 30% increase since 2010. Given continued strong driving factors, this trend is expected to continue in 2023.

Often overlooked, most African migration occurs within the continent as migrants seek employment in nearby economic hubs. Indeed, 80% of African migrants do not want to leave the continent . Africa represents only 14% of the world’s migrants, compared to 41% from Asia and 24% from Europe.

South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria are among the continent’s top five destinations, reflecting their positions as economic centers of their respective sub-regions.

With the exception of Côte d’Ivoire, migrants make up less than 5% of the population in each of the top destination countries. The majority of migrants in Côte d’Ivoire come from neighboring Burkina Faso, a country with which they share many cultural attributes.

Source: Africa Center for Strategic Studies