Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Senegal
Senegal: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 17,259 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Senegal, 1963–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Senegal is 17,259, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 45.8% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Senegal peaked at 90,000 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 4,000, in 1981.
Senegal ranks 85th of 179 countries on this measure, 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 Senegal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 6,000 | — |
| 1964 | 30,000 | +400.0% |
| 1965 | 50,000 | +66.7% |
| 1966 | 61,400 | +22.8% |
| 1967 | 59,870 | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 57,210 | -4.4% |
| 1969 | 68,400 | +19.6% |
| 1970 | 67,060 | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 80,000 | +19.3% |
| 1972 | 82,000 | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 84,000 | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 90,000 | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 46,000 | -48.9% |
| 1976 | 38,000 | -17.4% |
| 1977 | 5,000 | -86.8% |
| 1978 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 4,000 | -20.0% |
| 1982 | 5,250 | +31.2% |
| 1983 | 5,140 | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 5,200 | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 5,500 | +5.8% |
| 1986 | 5,510 | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 5,180 | -6.0% |
| 1988 | 5,203 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 53,345 | +925.3% |
| 1990 | 58,113 | +8.9% |
| 1991 | 71,908 | +23.7% |
| 1992 | 71,620 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 73,001 | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 72,994 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 66,762 | -8.5% |
| 1996 | 65,042 | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 57,220 | -12.0% |
| 1998 | 60,822 | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 21,537 | -64.6% |
| 2000 | 20,762 | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 20,703 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 20,706 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 20,722 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 20,802 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 20,706 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 20,587 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 20,417 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 33,189 | +62.6% |
| 2009 | 22,143 | -33.3% |
| 2010 | 20,670 | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 20,640 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 14,229 | -31.1% |
| 2013 | 14,241 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 14,267 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 14,383 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 14,575 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 14,646 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 14,359 | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 14,467 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 14,361 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 14,479 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 11,802 | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 11,856 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 11,836 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 17,259 | +45.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Senegal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +925.3% | 5,203 | 53,345 |
| 1964 | +400.0% | 6,000 | 30,000 |
| 1977 | -86.8% | 38,000 | 5,000 |
| 1965 | +66.7% | 30,000 | 50,000 |
| 1999 | -64.6% | 60,822 | 21,537 |
| 2008 | +62.6% | 20,417 | 33,189 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47,554 | 6,000 | 68,400 | 7 |
| 1970s | 50,206 | 5,000 | 90,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 9,933 | 4,000 | 53,345 | 10 |
| 1990s | 61,902 | 21,537 | 73,001 | 10 |
| 2000s | 22,074 | 20,417 | 33,189 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,648 | 14,229 | 20,670 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,599 | 11,802 | 17,259 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 82 Afghanistan 20,869 compare
- 83 North Macedonia 20,822 compare
- 84 Nepal 19,613 compare
- 86 Benin 16,974 compare
- 87 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 14,333 compare
- 88 Slovenia 12,513 compare
More social development data for Senegal
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,028 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % 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 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 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 45.82 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Senegal?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Senegal was 17,259 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 90,000 in 1974.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,000 in 1981.
- How does Senegal rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Senegal ranks 85th 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 Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Senegal data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.