Information International, a leading Beirut-based research consultancy firm, issued a report on Wednesday showcasing the numbers of people emigrating from Lebanon.
Information International is an independent regional research and consultancy firm that utilizes modern and effective research methodologies.
“The worsening economic crisis is driving thousands of Lebanese to migrate and travel in search of employment or improvement in living conditions that have become impossible in the absence of public services such as electricity, water, transportation, high prices, and erosion of purchasing power,” the report noted.
According to the study, the number of emigrants in 2021 was 79,134, compared with 17,721 in 2020. That is an increase of 61,413 people or 346%. Thus, 2021 has recorded the largest number of migrants and travelers in the past five years.
During the years between 2017-2021, the number of migrants and travelers leaving the country reached 215,653:
- 18,863 people emigrated in 2017,
- 33,129 in 2018,
- 66,806 in 2019,
- 17,721 in 2020,
- 79,134 in 2021
That is a total of 215,653 people who emigrated from Lebanon in 5 years.
While it might sound ordinary to most world countries, it isn’t for a small country like Lebanon with a population of about 6.8 million (ref. World Bank, 2020).
The majority of the Lebanese who have left the country are those who can have access to work opportunities (professionals) and/or youth with promising futures abroad, and families whose breadwinners have a certain source of income.
This translates into a massive hit on Lebanon’s economy and future as the brain drain continues to dramatically increase.
These numbers are expected to grow exponentially with the worsening economic and financial crisis as the Lebanese continue to seek refuge abroad.
