The United States has released the latest statistical breakdown for its DV-2026 Diversity Visa Programme, commonly known as the US Green Card Lottery, showing the number of prospective applicants registered from eligible African countries.
Figures released by the US Department of State show that the Kentucky Consular Center registered 129,516 prospective applicants, including selected entrants and their spouses and children, from more than 20.8 million qualified entries submitted during the 2024 application period.
The Diversity Visa Programme provides a pathway to permanent residency in the United States for eligible applicants from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the country.
Although the programme provides for up to 55,000 diversity visas annually, the effective number available for the DV-2026 programme is approximately 51,850, following deductions required by US law.
How the US Green Card Lottery 2026 works
Diversity visas are distributed among six geographic regions, with applicants from any single country restricted to no more than seven percent of the available visas.
Being selected in the lottery does not automatically guarantee a US visa. Successful entrants must complete the required application, documentation, interview and other immigration procedures before a visa can be issued.
The US Department of State has also warned that applicants selected for DV-2026 must complete the process within the programme year.
Applicants who do not receive a diversity visa or adjustment of status by September 30, 2026, will lose the benefit of their DV-2026 selection.
US Green Card Lottery 2026: African countries on the list
The State Department’s statistics recorded prospective applicants from the following African countries:
| African country | Prospective applicants |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 5,457 |
| Angola | 763 |
| Benin | 1,064 |
| Botswana | 7 |
| Burkina Faso | 252 |
| Burundi | 1,616 |
| Cabo Verde | 35 |
| Cameroon | 3,533 |
| Central African Republic | 19 |
| Chad | 482 |
| Comoros | 12 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,210 |
| Republic of the Congo | 448 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 926 |
| Djibouti | 204 |
| Egypt | 5,527 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 |
| Eritrea | 206 |
| Eswatini | 3 |
| Ethiopia | 3,287 |
| Gabon | 62 |
| The Gambia | 198 |
| Ghana | 1,642 |
| Guinea | 1,051 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 10 |
| Kenya | 3,949 |
| Lesotho | 6 |
| Liberia | 1,593 |
| Libya | 276 |
| Madagascar | 48 |
| Malawi | 159 |
| Mali | 268 |
| Mauritania | 261 |
| Mauritius | 2 |
| Morocco | 3,670 |
| Mozambique | 4 |
| Namibia | 3 |
| Niger | 109 |
| Rwanda | 1,252 |
| Senegal | 478 |
| Sierra Leone | 639 |
| Somalia | 1,554 |
| South Africa | 187 |
| South Sudan | 72 |
| Sudan | 5,226 |
| Tanzania | 404 |
| Togo | 2,473 |
| Tunisia | 202 |
| Uganda | 1,513 |
| Western Sahara | 2 |
| Zambia | 236 |
| Zimbabwe | 327 |
Countries with the highest numbers
Among the African countries listed, Egypt recorded the highest number of prospective applicants at 5,527, followed by Algeria with 5,457 and Sudan with 5,226.
Kenya recorded 3,949 prospective applicants, while Morocco had 3,670. Cameroon and Ethiopia recorded 3,533 and 3,287 respectively.
Other countries with more than 1,000 prospective applicants included Togo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ghana, Liberia, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda and Benin.
At the other end of the scale, several countries recorded only a handful of prospective applicants. Mauritius had two, while Western Sahara recorded two. Mozambique and Namibia recorded four and three respectively.
What DV-2026 applicants should know
Selection in the US Green Card Lottery 2026 is not the same as receiving a permanent resident visa. Selected applicants must still satisfy the programme’s eligibility requirements and complete the required immigration process.
Because the DV-2026 programme ends on September 30, 2026, applicants who have been selected but have not obtained a visa or adjustment of status before that date cannot carry their selection over into another programme year.
Applicants should therefore monitor their case status and complete any outstanding requirements as early as possible.
The Diversity Visa Programme remains one of the routes through which eligible nationals of countries with historically lower US immigration rates can seek permanent residence in the United States.
