Southern Asia recorded the largest net migration loss in Asia, while Western Asia remained the region’s strongest migration destination, according to migration data compiled from the UN Population Division and international migration studies .

A visual analysis published by Seasia Stats and World Visualized showed Southern Asia posting a net migration balance of -2.2 million people over a five-year average period, far exceeding outflows recorded in Eastern, South-Eastern and Central Asia .

Western Asia stood out as the only Asian subregion with positive net migration, recording a net gain of approximately 434,000 people.

Net migration measures the difference between immigrants entering a region and emigrants leaving it.

Migration experts say Western Asia’s positive migration trend is largely driven by Gulf economies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, which rely heavily on foreign labour across construction, healthcare, domestic work and technology sectors.

The World Bank and the International Organisation for Migration have repeatedly identified the Gulf region as one of the world’s largest migrant worker destinations due to higher wages and strong labour demand.

Large migrant populations from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines continue moving to the Gulf in search of economic opportunities.

Southern Asia’s large negative migration balance reflects longstanding outward migration patterns from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Economic opportunity, overseas employment, education and family reunification remain among the biggest drivers of migration from the region, according to UNESCO and UN migration reports.

India alone has one of the world’s largest overseas diasporas, with millions of citizens living and working abroad.

Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia also recorded net migration losses, though at much smaller levels compared to Southern Asia.

Ageing populations, slowing economic growth and changing labour markets are believed to be reshaping migration trends in countries including China, Japan and South Korea.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian nations continue experiencing both outbound labour migration and growing urban migration within the region.

The International Organisation for Migration estimates there were more than 281 million international migrants worldwide in recent years, with Asia remaining central to global migration flows.

“I think my heart keeps breaking more and more for this country. You think this can be the worst thing ever after the explosion, for example, in 2020. And that was the biggest peacetime explosion that has ever happened in the world ,” she said.

She described the frustration many Lebanese feel over what she called negligence by political leaders and the absence of institutions capable of protecting civilians.

“Politicians are doing nothing about it, and no accountability and complete negligence. And now what you have is active oppression, like active violence happening from an oppressor who wants to take over the land. And we don’t have anyone who’s protecting us. There’s no official body that’s there to protect the Lebanese,” said the founder of the region's leading feminist storytelling platform, Womena. 

Building Womena through storytelling

Freiha is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices across the Middle East through Womena and her podcast “Sage Takes Time,” where conversations range from sexuality and psychology to environmental justice and identity.

According to her, the podcast’s success comes from presenting Arab women authentically rather than through stereotypes often portrayed globally.

“If I can showcase Arab women the way they really are, I don’t need to manufacture anything. People will connect with that. They’ll see the beauty, the wonder, the strength and the resilience that comes from Arab women,” she said, adding that Arab women themselves are the source of hope that inspires her work.

“Arab women are the ones who give all of us hope because they’re the most resilient. They are the strongest. They have had to endure, and they thrive regardless.”

Breaking taboos around sexuality

“Sex in the Middle East is very haram. You do have to address it in creative ways,” Freiha said, noting that some women featured on the podcast helped pioneer public conversations around sexual health in Arabic-speaking societies nearly a decade ago, even struggling to create accessible language for such discussions.

“The Arabic language struggles to find a middle place between talking about sex with very vulgar terms and very academic terms. We need to name them before we can start dismantling all the shame,” she explained.

Freiha stressed that the issue is not unique to Arab societies, arguing that women globally face barriers around sexual awareness and education .

Feminism is human rights and not "anti-men”

Freiha rejected portrayals of feminism as anti-men, describing it instead as a movement rooted in equality and human rights.

“Human rights is feminism. Patriarchy is a system. It doesn’t have a gender,” she said, arguing that both men and women suffer under patriarchal systems that impose harmful expectations and unequal access to opportunities.

“People are pretending like these are men versus women, but we all suffer under patriarchy. Feminism advocates for equality for everyone,” she added.

Challenging stereotypes about Arab women

Freiha challenged common stereotypes about Arab women, saying Western perceptions often fail to capture the diversity and complexity of women across the region.

“When I say Arab woman, there is an image that’s in your mind. Most people, the image that is in their mind is wrong,” she said.

She described Arab women as diverse in religion, appearance, identity and lifestyle, while urging audiences to move beyond simplistic narratives.

“They are just as complicated as you. So get to know your local Arab woman,” she said. 

Watch the full interview attached to this story.

According to IMF data compiled by African business intelligence platform Intelpoint and visualised by World Visualized, Nigeria achieved a GDP above $100 billion in 1994, just 34 years after independence in 1960.

The ranking tracks how long African countries took to surpass the $100 billion GDP mark between 1988 and 2025, revealing significant differences in growth trajectories across the continent.

Angola ranked second, reaching the milestone 36 years after independence, while Algeria followed at 43 years. Morocco, Kenya and South Africa also featured prominently among Africa’s fastest-growing economies by long-term GDP expansion.

The findings highlight how resource wealth, population growth, industrialisation and economic reforms have shaped Africa’s emergence as one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions.

Nigeria’s rise to a $100 billion economy was driven largely by oil exports, rapid urbanisation and its growing population, which is now estimated by the United Nations to exceed 220 million people.

As Africa’s largest oil producer for decades, Nigeria benefited heavily from petroleum revenues during the late 20th century, helping finance infrastructure, banking expansion and import-driven consumer growth.

Economic analysts say Nigeria’s large domestic market also gave it advantages unavailable to many smaller African economies.

Despite repeated currency crises, inflation shocks and governance challenges, the country remains one of Africa’s largest economies by nominal GDP alongside South Africa and Egypt.

The International Monetary Fund has projected continued medium-term growth for Nigeria, supported by services, telecommunications, financial technology and a fast-expanding digital economy.

Angola reached the $100 billion threshold in 2011, approximately 36 years after independence from Portugal in 1975.

The country experienced one of Africa’s fastest economic expansions during the 2000s, largely due to booming crude oil exports and rising Chinese investment after the end of its civil war in 2002.

At its peak, Angola became one of China’s largest African oil suppliers, helping fund large-scale infrastructure reconstruction projects including roads, railways and housing developments.

However, economists note that Angola’s heavy dependence on oil left the economy vulnerable to global commodity price swings, particularly during the 2014 oil market collapse.

Algeria and Morocco both ranked among the continent’s fastest economies to surpass a $100 billion GDP.

Algeria crossed the mark in 2005, driven largely by hydrocarbon exports. The country possesses some of Africa’s largest natural gas reserves and remains a major energy supplier to Europe.

Morocco reached the milestone in 2008 after decades of gradual industrial diversification and export-oriented growth.

Unlike several oil-dependent economies, Morocco expanded sectors including automotive manufacturing, phosphates, renewable energy and tourism.

The country has increasingly positioned itself as a manufacturing and logistics hub connecting Europe and Africa through major infrastructure projects such as the Tangier Med port complex.

Kenya became one of the newest African economies to exceed a $100 billion GDP, reaching the threshold in 2019.

The East African nation has built a reputation as one of the continent’s leading technology and financial centres, anchored by Nairobi’s role as a regional commercial hub.

Kenya’s economy has benefited from growth in mobile banking, agriculture, transport and digital services .

Ghana reached the $100 billion benchmark in 2025, according to the IMF-based Intelpoint analysis, highlighting the growing economic significance of West Africa beyond Nigeria.

The country has expanded rapidly over the past two decades through gold production, oil exports, cocoa trade and services growth.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia crossed the threshold in 2022 after roughly 81 years, despite never being formally colonised apart from a brief Italian occupation during the 1930s and 1940s.

Ethiopia recorded some of the world’s fastest growth rates during the 2000s and 2010s, powered by state-led infrastructure investment, manufacturing expansion and agricultural reforms.

However, conflict, debt pressures and foreign exchange shortages have recently slowed momentum in Africa’s second-most populous country.