- Angolans are divided on the question of free cross-border movement within the region: 41% say Southern Africans should be free to move across borders to work and live, while 38%
- Angolans are also split on the impact of immigrants on their economy: Four in 10 (40%) say they make a positive contribution, while an equal proportion (40%) believe they have a negative impact.
- Seven in 10 citizens (71%) express no reservations about living next door to immigrants or foreign workers.
- Similarly, about two-thirds (65%) express tolerant attitudes toward refugees.
- Even so, a majority (56%) of Angolans say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country or eliminate such immigration altogether.
- A majority (57%) of Angolans say they have given at least “a little” consideration to moving to another country, including 38% who have thought about it “a lot. ”
- Among those who have considered emigration, the most frequently cited reasons are economic: finding work opportunities (37%) and escaping economic hardship (34%).
- The most popular destinations among potential emigrants are Europe (39%), North America (21%), and South Africa (10%).
Over the past 30 years, Angola has experienced three waves of emigration. The first occurred in 1976 at the start of the civil war following the proclamation of national independence (Barreto, 2014). The second started in 1992, when post-election conflict led thousands of Angolans to seek refuge and better living conditions abroad. The third wave began about six years ago as a result of the country’s deep economic crisis, again driving citizens to leave in search of opportunities.
Portugal has been the main destination for Angolan emigrants (Teixeira, 2021). . Recent figures published by Novo Jornal (2024) indicate that the Angolan community in Portugal more than tripled between 2017 and 2023, rising from 16,854 to 55,589 residents, making it the second-largest foreign community in the country, surpassed only by Brazil.
This outflow of citizens, especially young people who are typically urban and educated, represents a loss of human capital needed for the country’s economic and political development. A 2021 study shows that although emigrants’ main motivation is to help their families, many Angolans in Portugal don’t send remittances due to economic instability in the destination country, and this means that their families’ economic situation often worsens after they leave (Teixeira, 2021).
Angola is also a major receiving country for immigrants and refugees. By the early 2020s, Angola hosted more than 650,000 international migrants and more than 55,000 refugees, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Integral Human Development, 2022; Statista, 2025).
Afrobarometer survey findings show that Angolans hold mixed views on migration. Citizens are divided on the question of free cross-border movement and in their assessments of the impact of immigrants. Majorities want their government to reduce or eliminate entry by foreign job seekers and refugees.
Meanwhile, a majority of Angolans say they have considered emigrating, most often for jobs and a better standard of living. Young, urban, and highly educated citizens are especially likely to contemplate moving abroad.
Related content
