Around two-third of the Armenian people live in the Diaspora as a result of: a) the Genocide of the Armenians of 1915-1923; b) emigration from Soviet Armenia in the 1970s and 1980s, mainly because of political conditions; c) emigration from the Republic of Armenia in the late 1980s and 1990s, mainly because of economic hardship.

In the Diaspora, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun is the major political force with organizations and affiliates in Armenian communities in over thirty countries worldwide. The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun pursues the reorganization and revitalization of the Diaspora as a whole and the formation of new organized communities.

During the last Lebanese parliamentary elections (2009), the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun candidate Hagop Pakradounian was re-elected to the parliament. In the cabinet of Lebanon formed in June 2011, the Minister of Industry, Vrej Sabounjian, and State Minister Panos manjian were nominated by the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun.

Current Armenian members of the Iranian parliament, Gevorg Vardanian and Robert Beglarian were also elected as candidates supported by ARF circles.

Members of the ARF are elected lay members of the Armenian Church assemblies and executive councils, as well as sports, cultural, educational, youth and professional organizations of the Armenian Diaspora.

The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun enjoys the close and immediate cooperation of several Armenian organizations in the Diaspora, including the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (headquartered in Brussels, www.eafjd.eu), the Armenian National Committee of America (headquartered in Washington, D.C., www.anca.org), the Russian-Armenian Friendship Foundation (headquartered in Moscow), the Centre for Armenian Studies (based in Tehran, www.arir.org) and the Armenian National Committee of the Middle East (headquartered in Beirut, www.ancme.net).

The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun also closely cooperates with the Armenian General Sports and Scouts Union (Homenetmen), the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Association and the Armenian Relief Society, all of which also have organizational structures in Armenia and in almost all Armenian communities worldwide.