Forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Forcibly displaced people was 39.33 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 39.33 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 7.5% on the previous year and up 123.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 42.51 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.06 million, in 2011.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 11th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.29 million | — |
| 2011 | 10.06 million | -18.2% |
| 2012 | 12.00 million | +19.3% |
| 2013 | 15.84 million | +32.0% |
| 2014 | 15.75 million | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 17.57 million | +11.6% |
| 2016 | 17.82 million | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 20.84 million | +17.0% |
| 2018 | 23.33 million | +11.9% |
| 2019 | 25.94 million | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 28.91 million | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 32.79 million | +13.4% |
| 2022 | 35.52 million | +8.3% |
| 2023 | 41.01 million | +15.5% |
| 2024 | 42.51 million | +3.7% |
| 2025 | 39.33 million | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.14 million | 10.06 million | 25.94 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.68 million | 28.91 million | 42.51 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More social development data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9.48 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11.08 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11.08 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0072 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9.48 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 14.23 % change on previous year (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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Forcibly displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 39.33 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 42.51 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.06 million in 2011.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 11th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 123.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.