Europe & Central Asia vs South Africa: Net migration
Europe & Central Asia
1.18 million
in 2025
South Africa
146,370
in 2025
Europe & Central Asia rank
6th
South Africa rank
9th
Net migration over time
- Europe & Central Asia
- South Africa
How they compare
Europe & Central Asia currently reports 1.18 million against 146,370 in South Africa, a difference of 1.03 million.
That makes Europe & Central Asia's figure about 8.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 19 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 9th of 45 groups.
Across the 7 decades both report, Europe & Central Asia averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Europe & Central Asia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 120,971 | 68,955 | 52,016 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 1970s | 191,096 | 46,061 | 145,035 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 1980s | 239,394 | 264,458 | 25,064 | South Africa |
| 1990s | -53,440 | -52,295 | 1,145 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.36 million | 15,644 | 1.35 million | Europe & Central Asia |
| 2010s | 1.80 million | 165,719 | 1.64 million | Europe & Central Asia |
| 2020s | 1.12 million | 267,166 | 854,276 | Europe & Central Asia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher net migration, Europe & Central Asia or South Africa?
- Europe & Central Asia, at 1.18 million against 146,370 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in net migration between Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?
- 1.03 million, with Europe & Central Asia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Europe & Central Asia and South Africa rank globally for net migration?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 9th of 45 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Net migration. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.