Over the past two decades, the number of Africans who have chosen The U.S. as their destination of choice has been on the rise. Within the periods, over 7.9 million Africans have visited The U.S. The increasing number of visitors to the U.S from Africa is also reflecting in the number of migrants.
The United States of America (The U.S.) continues to be a choice destination for Africans. Data obtained from National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that 153,841 Africans visited the US in 2021. A cursory review of the data indicate the the number of visitors from Africa to the U.S rose by 44% in 2021.
Over the past two decades, the number of Africans who have chosen The U.S. as their destination of choice has been on the rise. Africans either travel to The U.S. as tourists seeking fun and adventure or on business trips while some make the journey for educational purposes.
The jump in the number of visitors in the US in 2021 is driven by the recovery in travel visits after extended restrictions on the back of covid disruption. Despite the increase, travel visitors to The U.S. from Africa is yet to hit the pre-covid level.
Breakdown & Key Metrics
Data from the NTTO show that in 2011, the number of visitors to The U.S. from Africa was 345,233. By 2012, it had increased by to 383,637 Africans.
- In 2013, the number of visitors from Africa hit 470,670.
- By 2014, this number had exceeded 500,000, with 533,075 Africans making the journey to The U.S. and 566,677 doing the same in 2015.
- The number of Africans visiting the US was highest in 2018 at 597,820, while the highest year-on-year marginal increase occurred in 2013.
- The year 2019 recorded a decrease in the number of Africans visiting The U.S. with 566,677
- In 2020, visitors from Africa decreased by a whooping 81.09% to its lowest over the 10-year period at 107,164, on COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement.
The population census carried out in The U.S. showed that the Black or African American population living in the country accounted for 12.4% of all the total population, or 41.1 million.
African countries with the most immigrants to The U.S. are Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Somalia, Eritrea and Kenya.
Migration On The Rise
In the past two decades (2010-2021), over 7.9 million Africans have visited The U.S. The increasing number of visitors to the U.S from Africa is also reflecting in the number of migrants. According to the American Community Survey (ACS), the influence of Black immigrants is increasing rapidly, some of which is because of their growth in population in The U.S. For example, between 2010 and 2018, the number of Black immigrants grew from 3.3 million people to over 4.3 million—a 30% increase.
Pew Research findings show that three-quarters of African-born Black immigrants arrived in the U.S after 2000 with over four in ten (43%) arriving after 2010. Also, Africa accounts for the fastest growth in the U.S. Black immigrant population, making up over 42% of the United States’ foreign-born Black population, up from just 23% in 2000.
Takeaway
Many migrants embark on a journey to escape dire socio-economic conditions or natural disasters in their countries.
African migration is being driven by a varied combination of push-pull factors for each country. The primary push factors are conflict, repressive governance, and limited economic opportunities.
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