Forcibly displaced people in Kenya
Kenya: Forcibly displaced people was 845,771 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Forcibly displaced people in Kenya, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Kenya is 845,771, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 8.5% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Kenya peaked at 999,206 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 603,484, in 2022.
That places Kenya 32nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Forcibly displaced people in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 680,848 | — |
| 2011 | 851,750 | +25.1% |
| 2012 | 906,861 | +6.5% |
| 2013 | 999,206 | +10.2% |
| 2014 | 894,345 | -10.5% |
| 2015 | 902,860 | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 632,845 | -29.9% |
| 2017 | 647,394 | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 633,701 | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 651,728 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 694,832 | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 730,049 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 603,484 | -17.3% |
| 2023 | 729,841 | +20.9% |
| 2024 | 923,904 | +26.6% |
| 2025 | 845,771 | -8.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 845,771 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 56,328, 15.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 845,771 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70,609, 12.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 780,154 | 632,845 | 999,206 | 10 |
| 2020s | 754,647 | 603,484 | 923,904 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More social development data for Kenya
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 617,125 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,325 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,325 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0107 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 forcibly displaced people in Kenya?
- Forcibly displaced people in Kenya was 845,771 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 999,206 in 2013.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 603,484 in 2022.
- How does Kenya rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Kenya ranks 32nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.