Data published by StatsSA through its Community Survey 2016, shows how many South Africans emigrated over the past 10 years, between 2000 and 2016.
According to the stats body, the biggest proportion of emigrants over this period left during 2015 – 25.7%. In 2014, the proportion was 11.1%, and in 2013, it was 8.8%. So far in 2016, the proportion of total emigrants over the past 10 years is 9.7%.
City Press put the number of South African emigrants at 102,793 people over the past 10 years.
StatsSA data shows the overseas (non African) destinations of emigrants over the period 2006 to 2016. The highest proportion of emigrants moved to Australia at 26.0% followed by United Kingdom and United States at 25.0% and 13.4% respectively.
Data on emigrants which left the country between 2001 and 2016 show that most emigrants were aged between 25 and 29 years old and left South Africa between 2011 and 2015, with the highest proportion leaving in 2015, StatsSA said.
Gauteng reported the highest proportion of emigrants. The highest proportion of emigrants moved to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Australia. Individuals emigrated for a wide variety of reasons which included employment, study and business.
Migration lawyer Chris Watters told City Press that the findings by StatsSA relating to age correlates with his experience – that the bulk of emigrants are aged between 25 and 39, majority (54%) are male, and most (36%) are from Gauteng.
Migration Network Australia’s Marlene Prentice told the paper that the majority of her clients are white, qualified and skilled.
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