Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of over time
- Nigeria
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Sub-Saharan Africa currently reports 11.08 million against 478,150 in Nigeria, a difference of 10.60 million.
That makes Sub-Saharan Africa's figure about 23.2 times Nigeria's.
Across all 42 years both countries report, Sub-Saharan Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 12th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th of 199 countries.
Sub-Saharan Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26,975 | 956,195 | 929,220 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 1970s | 0 | 974,770 | 974,770 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 1980s | 11.67 | 4.30 million | 4.30 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 1990s | 1,897 | 4.99 million | 4.99 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2000s | 16,371 | 3.15 million | 3.13 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2010s | 138,156 | 5.09 million | 4.95 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2020s | 413,967 | 8.77 million | 8.36 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
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, Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Sub-Saharan Africa, at 11.08 million against 478,150 in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of between Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 10.60 million, with Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Nigeria ranks 12th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.