Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malawi
Malawi: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 35,241 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malawi, 1986–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Malawi recorded 35,241 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 290.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi peaked at 1.06 million in 1992 and was at its lowest, 278, in 1997.
That places Malawi 72nd out of 179 countries 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 100,000 | — |
| 1987 | 401,640 | +301.6% |
| 1988 | 628,133 | +56.4% |
| 1989 | 822,503 | +30.9% |
| 1990 | 926,725 | +12.7% |
| 1991 | 981,812 | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 1.06 million | +7.8% |
| 1993 | 713,605 | -32.6% |
| 1994 | 90,242 | -87.4% |
| 1995 | 1,018 | -98.9% |
| 1996 | 1,267 | +24.5% |
| 1997 | 278 | -78.1% |
| 1998 | 1,241 | +346.4% |
| 1999 | 1,692 | +36.3% |
| 2000 | 3,900 | +130.5% |
| 2001 | 6,200 | +59.0% |
| 2002 | 2,170 | -65.0% |
| 2003 | 3,208 | +47.8% |
| 2004 | 3,682 | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 4,241 | +15.2% |
| 2006 | 3,943 | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 2,927 | -25.8% |
| 2008 | 4,174 | +42.6% |
| 2009 | 5,436 | +30.2% |
| 2010 | 5,738 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 6,306 | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 6,546 | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 5,794 | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 5,871 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 9,018 | +53.6% |
| 2016 | 9,386 | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 8,977 | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 13,783 | +53.5% |
| 2019 | 14,087 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 14,892 | +5.7% |
| 2021 | 21,529 | +44.6% |
| 2022 | 35,162 | +63.3% |
| 2023 | 35,201 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 35,510 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 35,241 | -0.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 35,241 is below the median for low income countries, which is 45,052, 78% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 35,241 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35,241, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +346.4% | 278 | 1,241 |
| 1987 | +301.6% | 100,000 | 401,640 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 488,069 | 100,000 | 822,503 | 4 |
| 1990s | 377,638 | 278 | 1.06 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,988 | 2,170 | 6,200 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,551 | 5,738 | 14,087 | 10 |
| 2020s | 29,589 | 14,892 | 35,510 | 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 refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi was 35,241 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.06 million in 1992.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 278 in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Malawi ranks 72nd out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 290.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 40 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.