Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Zambia
Zambia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 83,225 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Zambia, 1965–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Zambia recorded 83,225 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 214.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Zambia peaked at 284,173 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5,000, in 1965.
That places Zambia 55th 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 5,000 | — |
| 1966 | 6,290 | +25.8% |
| 1967 | 10,710 | +70.3% |
| 1968 | 13,190 | +23.2% |
| 1969 | 12,640 | -4.2% |
| 1970 | 16,000 | +26.6% |
| 1971 | 17,000 | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 25,000 | +47.1% |
| 1973 | 37,310 | +49.2% |
| 1974 | 40,430 | +8.4% |
| 1975 | 36,050 | -10.8% |
| 1976 | 34,070 | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 64,900 | +90.5% |
| 1978 | 79,140 | +21.9% |
| 1979 | 57,790 | -27.0% |
| 1980 | 36,410 | -37.0% |
| 1981 | 40,560 | +11.4% |
| 1982 | 89,110 | +119.7% |
| 1983 | 103,000 | +15.6% |
| 1984 | 96,480 | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 103,780 | +7.6% |
| 1986 | 138,270 | +33.2% |
| 1987 | 144,100 | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 143,568 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 137,180 | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 138,049 | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 140,676 | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 142,104 | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 141,126 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 141,126 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 129,965 | -7.9% |
| 1996 | 131,139 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 165,072 | +25.9% |
| 1998 | 168,564 | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 206,386 | +22.4% |
| 2000 | 250,940 | +21.6% |
| 2001 | 284,173 | +13.2% |
| 2002 | 246,765 | -13.2% |
| 2003 | 226,697 | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 173,907 | -23.3% |
| 2005 | 155,718 | -10.5% |
| 2006 | 120,253 | -22.8% |
| 2007 | 112,931 | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 83,484 | -26.1% |
| 2009 | 56,786 | -32.0% |
| 2010 | 47,853 | -15.7% |
| 2011 | 45,627 | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 25,647 | -43.8% |
| 2013 | 23,584 | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 25,566 | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 26,434 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 29,338 | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 41,266 | +40.7% |
| 2018 | 49,877 | +20.9% |
| 2019 | 57,518 | +15.3% |
| 2020 | 66,070 | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 75,154 | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 61,159 | -18.6% |
| 2023 | 72,411 | +18.4% |
| 2024 | 79,275 | +9.5% |
| 2025 | 83,225 | +5.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 83,225 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11,476, 7.3× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 83,225 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35,241, 2.4× 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 Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +119.7% | 40,560 | 89,110 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9,566 | 5,000 | 13,190 | 5 |
| 1970s | 40,769 | 16,000 | 79,140 | 10 |
| 1980s | 103,246 | 36,410 | 144,100 | 10 |
| 1990s | 150,421 | 129,965 | 206,386 | 10 |
| 2000s | 171,165 | 56,786 | 284,173 | 10 |
| 2010s | 37,271 | 23,584 | 57,518 | 10 |
| 2020s | 72,882 | 61,159 | 83,225 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More social development data for Zambia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 83,225 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 346 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (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 346 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0038 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 Zambia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Zambia was 83,225 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 284,173 in 2001.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,000 in 1965.
- How does Zambia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Zambia ranks 55th 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 Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 214.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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 — 61 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.