Full List: 7 African countries rank among the world's highest for desire to migrate

• Seven Sub-Saharan African countries , Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, The Gambia and Comoros , were among the 10 countries worldwide with the highest desire to migrate, according to Gallup research published in October 2024.

• Afrobarometer’s August 2026 report found that 45% of respondents across 38 African countries had considered emigrating, while 25% had thought about it “a lot”. Employment opportunities and economic hardship were major motivations.

• Young adults and highly educated people also featured prominently in migration aspirations, with 32% of respondents aged 18–35 and 31% of the most educated respondents having seriously considered moving abroad. However, the findings do not mean these individuals will necessarily migrate.

According to Gallup's global migration research published in October 2024, seven Sub-Saharan African countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, The Gambia and Comoros, were among the world's 10 countries with the highest desire to migrate. In the countries Gallup examined, the proportion of adults who wanted to leave was close to or above 50% in nine African countries.

More recent findings published by Afrobarometer in August 2026 reinforce the significance of the issue. Its African Insights report, based on 50,961 face-to-face interviews in 38 countries during 2024 and 2025, found that 45% of respondents had considered emigrating, including 25% who had thought about it “a lot”. The survey also found that serious consideration of emigration was particularly common among young adults and people with higher levels of education.

The following list highlights seven countries identified in Gallup's research. It is not a newly verified 2026 ranking: the available evidence does not establish a current, exact percentage or order for all seven countries in 2026.

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Liberia is among the African countries Gallup identified as having particularly high levels of interest in permanent migration. Its inclusion in the global top 10 highlights the extent to which moving abroad features in the aspirations of people in the country.

The broader African findings offer useful context for understanding this interest. Across the continent, employment prospects and economic pressures are major factors influencing thoughts about emigration. Afrobarometer found that half of potential emigrants wanted to move in search of work, while another 29% cited escaping economic hardship.

These continental figures should not, however, be interpreted as Liberia-specific percentages or proof that every potential migrant has the same motivations.

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Sierra Leone also features among the countries Gallup identified as having some of the world's highest levels of desire to migrate. The finding places the West African country within a wider regional discussion about opportunities, livelihoods and the appeal of living abroad.

The 2026 Afrobarometer report provides additional regional context: West Africans were more than twice as likely as respondents in East and North Africa to have given serious thought to finding a new home abroad. The respective figures were 34% and 16%.

This is a regional comparison rather than a separate estimate for Sierra Leone. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the prominence of migration aspirations in West Africa.

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Ghana is another country identified in Gallup's research among those with exceptionally high migration aspirations. The finding is relevant to discussions about employment, career progression and the opportunities people believe may be available beyond their home country.

The wider African evidence suggests that the desire to migrate is not confined to people without educational qualifications. Afrobarometer found that 32% of young adults aged 18–35 had seriously considered emigration, as had 31% of the most educated respondents.

These findings offer important context for Ghana, where migration aspirations may encompass different groups and personal circumstances. However, the continental figures should not be presented as the percentage of Ghanaians who want to leave.

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The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is included among the countries Gallup identified as having some of the highest levels of desire to migrate worldwide.

Its inclusion demonstrates that high migration aspirations are not limited to West Africa. Gallup's findings point to a broader Sub-Saharan African pattern, with the region recording the highest overall desire to migrate among the world's regions in its 2023 data.

In that year, 37% of adults across Sub-Saharan Africa said they would like to move permanently to another country if they had the opportunity.

That regional figure does not establish the Republic of the Congo's exact position among the seven countries listed here. It does, however, show the scale of migration aspirations across the wider region.

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Nigeria is among the countries Gallup identified as having some of the world's highest levels of desire to migrate. Its inclusion adds to the evidence that migration aspirations are an important subject across West Africa.

The 2026 Afrobarometer findings help explain the broader motivations behind the desire to move abroad across the continent. Half of potential emigrants surveyed said they would seek employment elsewhere, while 29% said they would leave to escape economic hardship. Others may have different personal reasons, including education or family considerations.

These are continent-wide findings, not a breakdown of the motivations of Nigerian respondents. They provide context for understanding migration aspirations without assuming that every Nigerian who considers leaving the country intends to do so for the same reason.

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The Gambia was also named in Gallup's list of countries with particularly high migration aspirations. The West African nation was among the seven Sub-Saharan African countries Gallup identified in its global top 10.

The wider regional evidence is significant. Afrobarometer's 2026 report found that West Africans were more likely than respondents in East and North Africa to have seriously considered emigration. It also found that Europe was the most commonly preferred destination among potential emigrants across the continent, followed by North America.

The findings do not establish the most popular destination specifically among Gambians, however. Individual preferences can differ according to personal circumstances, existing family connections, employment prospects and access to migration routes.

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Comoros, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, completes the list of seven countries Gallup identified as having some of the world's highest levels of desire to migrate. Its inclusion shows that elevated migration aspirations extend beyond mainland Sub-Saharan Africa.

Gallup's research found that migration aspirations across Sub-Saharan Africa remained comparatively high, even though the regional figure has fluctuated over time. In 2023, 37% of adults in the region wanted to move permanently abroad, compared with 29% in 2011.

The available findings do not provide a verified 2026 country-specific percentage for Comoros. Its place in this list reflects Gallup's published comparison, rather than a newly established ranking for the current year.

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The 2026 Afrobarometer report adds several important findings to the debate about migration across Africa:

• Migration aspirations are widespread: 45% of respondents across 38 African countries had considered emigrating, while 25% had thought about it seriously or “a lot”.

• Economic factors matter: 50% of potential emigrants said they would seek work abroad, and 29% cited escaping economic hardship.

• Young and educated people feature prominently: 32% of respondents aged 18–35 and 31% of the most educated respondents had seriously considered moving abroad.

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No. Desire to migrate is not the same as a concrete plan to move or actual emigration. Gallup distinguishes between people who would like to live abroad and those who have made practical plans to do so. Financial resources, visas, employment opportunities, family responsibilities and other circumstances can affect whether someone eventually leaves.

The figures should therefore be understood as measures of people's aspirations, not predictions of how many citizens will leave these countries.