Zambian Diaspora Mapping and Profiling Survey in Targeted Countries – Final Report

The Government of Zambia acknowledges the immense contributions of the Zambian diaspora and that diaspora initiatives have largely been self-driven efforts characterized by limited coordination between the diaspora community and relevant government authorities, thus limiting their impact. The Government has yet to have a dedicated, focal institution or structure for centrally and systematically engaging, communicating and coordinating with the Zambian diaspora.  

While acknowledging previous diaspora surveys, undertaken in 2011 and 2014, the Government does not have updated gender-disaggregated information on the Zambian diaspora’s size, global distribution, skills profile and preferred areas of participation towards national development. Furthermore, it does not have a national database of skilled Zambian nationals in the diaspora who are willing to participate in national development through, among others, skills exchange programmes.  

Against this backdrop, the Government of Zambia, with support from IOM, conducted a diaspora mapping and profiling survey – one of three project outputs that seek to create knowledge about the Zambian diaspora’s size, profile, geographic spread and willingness to participate in national development initiatives. The target countries for this study are South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.