Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 3.36 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Africa Western and Central recorded 3.36 million for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 24.3% on the previous year and up 195.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central peaked at 3.36 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5,000, in 1961.
That places Africa Western and Central 27th out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5,000 | — |
| 1962 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 11,000 | +120.0% |
| 1964 | 38,300 | +248.2% |
| 1965 | 75,560 | +97.3% |
| 1966 | 104,400 | +38.2% |
| 1967 | 94,870 | -9.1% |
| 1968 | 120,210 | +26.7% |
| 1969 | 131,200 | +9.1% |
| 1970 | 102,710 | -21.7% |
| 1971 | 108,490 | +5.6% |
| 1972 | 103,970 | -4.2% |
| 1973 | 91,000 | -12.5% |
| 1974 | 105,000 | +15.4% |
| 1975 | 446,130 | +324.9% |
| 1976 | 628,570 | +40.9% |
| 1977 | 128,670 | -79.5% |
| 1978 | 95,840 | -25.5% |
| 1979 | 56,950 | -40.6% |
| 1980 | 260,000 | +356.5% |
| 1981 | 270,790 | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 55,820 | -79.4% |
| 1983 | 24,410 | -56.3% |
| 1984 | 70,340 | +188.2% |
| 1985 | 102,170 | +45.3% |
| 1986 | 86,610 | -15.2% |
| 1987 | 83,930 | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 72,832 | -13.2% |
| 1989 | 132,129 | +81.4% |
| 1990 | 932,052 | +605.4% |
| 1991 | 1.01 million | +8.3% |
| 1992 | 991,416 | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 1.60 million | +61.1% |
| 1994 | 1.62 million | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1.52 million | -6.3% |
| 1996 | 1.47 million | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 1.05 million | -28.6% |
| 1998 | 999,433 | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 1.01 million | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 968,325 | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 689,570 | -28.8% |
| 2002 | 729,358 | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 828,149 | +13.5% |
| 2004 | 832,774 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 752,345 | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 625,813 | -16.8% |
| 2007 | 614,139 | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 655,084 | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 761,510 | +16.2% |
| 2010 | 810,884 | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 933,618 | +15.1% |
| 2012 | 934,976 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 951,229 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 1.11 million | +16.5% |
| 2015 | 1.14 million | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 1.20 million | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 1.17 million | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1.29 million | +9.7% |
| 2019 | 1.32 million | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 1.47 million | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 1.63 million | +10.6% |
| 2022 | 1.70 million | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 2.30 million | +34.9% |
| 2024 | 2.70 million | +17.7% |
| 2025 | 3.36 million | +24.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +605.4% | 132,129 | 932,052 |
| 1980 | +356.5% | 56,950 | 260,000 |
| 1975 | +324.9% | 105,000 | 446,130 |
| 1964 | +248.2% | 11,000 | 38,300 |
| 1984 | +188.2% | 24,410 | 70,340 |
| 1963 | +120.0% | 5,000 | 11,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 65,060 | 5,000 | 131,200 | 9 |
| 1970s | 186,733 | 56,950 | 628,570 | 10 |
| 1980s | 115,903 | 24,410 | 270,790 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.22 million | 932,052 | 1.62 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 745,707 | 614,139 | 968,325 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.09 million | 810,884 | 1.32 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.19 million | 1.47 million | 3.36 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More social development data for Africa Western and Central
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3.36 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.47 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0046 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.47 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0063 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 24.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 21.98 % change on previous year (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 0.2538 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Western and Central was 3.36 million in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 3.36 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,000 in 1961.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 27th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 195.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
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
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.