The United States of America continues to be a choice destination for Africans looking to escape the hardship, poverty and low standard of living prevalent in most African countries.
Africans have consistently enriched the U.S. economy by transferring wealth from its continent and taking it abroad. Every year, the number of Africans who have chosen the USA as their destination of choice has been on the rise, especially since 2011. These people either travel to the U.S. as tourists seeking fun and adventure or on business trips while some make the journey for academic purposes.
Breakdown & Key Metrics
Data from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that in 2011, the number of visitors to the US from Africa was 345,233. By 2012, it had increased by 38,414 to 383,637 Africans. An additional 87,073 saw the number of Africans visiting the U.S. in 2013 approach half a million at 470,670. By 2014, this number had exceeded 500,000, with 533,075 Africans making the journey to the USA 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, African migrating across the Atlantic ocean. In 2020, this decreased further by 81.09% to its lowest over the 10-year period at 107,164 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement.
The population census carried out in the United States 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.
Countries with the most immigrants to the U.S. are Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Somalia, Eritrea and Kenya.
Other Insight
With increasing migration of Africans to the United States, this reflects in the U.S. economy. 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 United States. 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. Although the media places most focus on Africans fleeing the continent, not all migration stems from this.
America’s 4.3 million Black immigrants are already helping power the U.S. economy. As they continue to grow and establish firmer footholds in the United States, they will continue to serve as inspiration for more African looking to achieve the American Dream at the expense of Africa’s growth and development.
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