Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre was 0.0034 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0034 units per square kilometre for asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 19.8% on the previous year and up 1,082.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.0034 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0001 units per square kilometre, in 2000.
That places South Africa 152nd out of 197 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | — |
| 2001 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +81.6% |
| 2002 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +50.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +97.8% |
| 2005 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -71.8% |
| 2006 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -27.5% |
| 2008 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +27.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +29.6% |
| 2011 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | +59.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +50.9% |
| 2015 | 0.0007 units per square kilometre | +58.9% |
| 2016 | 0.0009 units per square kilometre | +27.4% |
| 2017 | 0.0013 units per square kilometre | +49.6% |
| 2018 | 0.002 units per square kilometre | +49.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0023 units per square kilometre | +18.3% |
| 2020 | 0.0027 units per square kilometre | +13.8% |
| 2021 | 0.0029 units per square kilometre | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 0.0029 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 0.0034 units per square kilometre | +19.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0008 units per square kilometre | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | 0.0023 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.003 units per square kilometre | 0.0027 units per square kilometre | 0.0034 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 149 Turkmenistan 0.0039 units per square kilometre compare
- 150 Bulgaria 0.0036 units per square kilometre compare
- 151 Libya 0.0034 units per square kilometre compare
- 153 Poland 0.0034 units per square kilometre compare
- 154 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.0033 units per square kilometre compare
- 155 Gabon 0.0032 units per square kilometre compare
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.0034 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0034 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0001 units per square kilometre in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 152nd out of 197 countries with data for 2023.
- Is asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,082.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.