Burkina Faso vs Nigeria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of

Burkina Faso
351,209
in 2025
Nigeria
478,150
in 2025
Burkina Faso rank
14th
Nigeria rank
12th

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of over time

  • Burkina Faso
  • Nigeria
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k196819962025

How they compare

Nigeria currently reports 478,150 against 351,209 in Burkina Faso, a difference of 126,941.

That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.4 times Burkina Faso's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Burkina Faso ahead.

Burkina Faso ranks 14th and Nigeria ranks 12th of 199 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Burkina Faso averaged higher in 1 and Nigeria in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Burkina Faso Nigeria Difference Ahead
1980s 50 5 45 Burkina Faso
1990s 70.44 2,106 2,035 Nigeria
2000s 584.5 16,371 15,786 Nigeria
2010s 3,766 138,156 134,390 Nigeria
2020s 103,663 413,967 310,304 Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of, Burkina Faso or Nigeria?
Nigeria, at 478,150 against 351,209 in Burkina Faso as of 2025.
What is the difference in refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of between Burkina Faso and Nigeria?
126,941, with Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Burkina Faso and Nigeria?
36 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2025.
How do Burkina Faso and Nigeria rank globally for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Burkina Faso ranks 14th and Nigeria ranks 12th of 199 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Burkina Faso vs Nigeria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of. Statizoid, drawing on Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin/burkina-faso/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
246 places, 10,112 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.