Forcibly displaced people in Malawi
Malawi: Forcibly displaced people was 60,492 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forcibly displaced people in Malawi, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Malawi is 60,492, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 157.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Malawi peaked at 60,492 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 15,094, in 2010.
Malawi ranks 93rd of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Forcibly displaced people in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15,094 | — |
| 2011 | 16,848 | +11.6% |
| 2012 | 16,656 | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 16,930 | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 20,364 | +20.3% |
| 2015 | 23,485 | +15.3% |
| 2016 | 30,408 | +29.5% |
| 2017 | 34,964 | +15.0% |
| 2018 | 36,918 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 44,380 | +20.2% |
| 2020 | 48,021 | +8.2% |
| 2021 | 52,433 | +9.2% |
| 2022 | 56,425 | +7.6% |
| 2023 | 52,896 | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 57,539 | +8.8% |
| 2025 | 60,492 | +5.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 60,492 is below the median for low income countries, which is 762,014, 8% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 60,492 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70,609, 86% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 25,605 | 15,094 | 44,380 | 10 |
| 2020s | 54,634 | 48,021 | 60,492 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More social development data for Malawi
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,241 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 551 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate -33.33 % 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 551 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0016 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 Malawi?
- Forcibly displaced people in Malawi was 60,492 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 60,492 in 2025.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,094 in 2010.
- How does Malawi rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Malawi ranks 93rd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 157.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.