Chinese Populations in Angola

The number of Chinese residents in Angola, subject of frequent speculation, is approximately 259,000 as stated by Beijing Angolan director of the Office of Migration and Foreigners, Freitas Neto.


Speaking to the official news agency Angop, Freitas Neto stated that "there are currently 258,920 Chinese in Angola", with almost 98% of these as construction workers helping to rebuild the country.

China is Angola's biggest trade partner and export destination as well as the fourth-largest importer. Bilateral trade reached $27.67 billion in 2011, up 11.5 percent year-on-year. China’s imports, mainly crude oil and diamonds, increased 9.1 percent to $24.89 billion while China’s exports, including mechanical and electrical products, machinery parts and construction materials, surged 38.8 percent, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Angola embarked on fast development after the end of a civil war in 2002. It was China’s second-largest trade partner in Africa in 2011 and the second-largest crude oil provider.

Trade in diamonds, China’s other major import from Angola, will continue to surge owing to strong investment demand in the second-largest market for the diamonds.

China's investments in Angola, mainly centered in infrastructure, social development including schools and hospitals, and agriculture, also help to expand bilateral trade since the investments lead to the purchase of engineering materials from China. (Angop, China Daily)