South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Net migration
South Africa
146,370
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
158,634
in 2025
South Africa rank
9th
United Arab Emirates rank
8th
Net migration over time
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
United Arab Emirates currently reports 158,634 against 146,370 in South Africa, a difference of 12,264.
That makes United Arab Emirates's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 9th and United Arab Emirates ranks 8th of 219 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and United Arab Emirates in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 68,955 | 8,844 | 60,111 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 46,061 | 57,581 | 11,521 | United Arab Emirates |
| 1980s | 264,458 | 54,456 | 210,002 | South Africa |
| 1990s | -52,295 | 112,404 | 164,699 | United Arab Emirates |
| 2000s | 15,644 | 287,325 | 271,682 | United Arab Emirates |
| 2010s | 165,719 | 170,375 | 4,656 | United Arab Emirates |
| 2020s | 267,166 | 262,342 | 4,824 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher net migration, South Africa or United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates, at 158,634 against 146,370 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in net migration between South Africa and United Arab Emirates?
- 12,264, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Arab Emirates?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Arab Emirates rank globally for net migration?
- South Africa ranks 9th and United Arab Emirates ranks 8th of 219 countries.
- 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.