Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / was 28.91 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2009–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 28.91 million for internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / in 2025.
The figure is down 12.7% on the previous year and up 144.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 33.10 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.99 million, in 2011.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 10th out of 43 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 10.19 million | — |
| 2010 | 9.79 million | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 6.99 million | -28.6% |
| 2012 | 8.77 million | +25.5% |
| 2013 | 12.42 million | +41.5% |
| 2014 | 11.35 million | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 11.81 million | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 12.18 million | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 14.01 million | +15.0% |
| 2018 | 16.45 million | +17.4% |
| 2019 | 19.02 million | +15.6% |
| 2020 | 21.77 million | +14.5% |
| 2021 | 25.19 million | +15.7% |
| 2022 | 27.93 million | +10.9% |
| 2023 | 32.42 million | +16.0% |
| 2024 | 33.10 million | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 28.91 million | -12.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.19 million | 10.19 million | 10.19 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 12.28 million | 6.99 million | 19.02 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.22 million | 21.77 million | 33.10 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More social development data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- 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 internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / in Sub-Saharan Africa was 28.91 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 33.10 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.99 million in 2011.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum /?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is internally displaced people (idp) by country or territory of asylum / rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 144.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Internally displaced people (IDPs) are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of, or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, and violations of human rights, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.