Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern

Africa Eastern and Southern: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 8.61 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
8.61 million
Change on year
up 12.2%
Rank
14th
of 44 groups
All-time high
8.61 million
in 2025
All-time low
150,000
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960–2025

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M196019922025

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 8.61 million for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.2% on the previous year and up 105.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 8.61 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 150,000, in 1960.

Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 14th of 44 groups 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 Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1960 150,000
1961 297,000 +98.0%
1962 317,000 +6.7%
1963 342,000 +7.9%
1964 455,300 +33.1%
1965 524,460 +15.2%
1966 674,970 +28.7%
1967 772,940 +14.5%
1968 866,250 +12.1%
1969 866,490 +0.0%
1970 905,810 +4.5%
1971 894,540 -1.2%
1972 988,350 +10.5%
1973 900,720 -8.9%
1974 990,220 +9.9%
1975 1.05 million +6.1%
1976 1.04 million -1.4%
1977 1.89 million +82.2%
1978 2.23 million +18.3%
1979 3.02 million +35.5%
1980 3.91 million +29.2%
1981 2.69 million -31.1%
1982 2.80 million +4.1%
1983 2.76 million -1.4%
1984 3.19 million +15.3%
1985 3.41 million +7.1%
1986 3.25 million -4.7%
1987 3.66 million +12.5%
1988 4.29 million +17.2%
1989 4.46 million +4.0%
1990 4.69 million +5.2%
1991 4.15 million -11.5%
1992 4.39 million +5.7%
1993 4.58 million +4.5%
1994 4.97 million +8.3%
1995 4.14 million -16.7%
1996 2.92 million -29.4%
1997 2.50 million -14.3%
1998 2.45 million -2.3%
1999 2.68 million +9.4%
2000 2.94 million +10.0%
2001 2.87 million -2.5%
2002 2.88 million +0.3%
2003 2.63 million -8.5%
2004 2.60 million -1.2%
2005 2.54 million -2.5%
2006 2.56 million +0.9%
2007 2.31 million -9.8%
2008 2.16 million -6.4%
2009 2.18 million +0.9%
2010 2.30 million +5.5%
2011 2.77 million +20.4%
2012 2.89 million +4.4%
2013 2.98 million +2.9%
2014 3.56 million +19.5%
2015 4.20 million +17.9%
2016 4.92 million +17.2%
2017 6.06 million +23.2%
2018 5.96 million -1.6%
2019 5.94 million -0.4%
2020 5.96 million +0.4%
2021 6.15 million +3.1%
2022 6.12 million -0.4%
2023 6.94 million +13.3%
2024 7.68 million +10.6%
2025 8.61 million +12.2%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern 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.

YearChange FromTo
1961 +98.0% 150,000 297,000
1977 +82.2% 1.04 million 1.89 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 526,641 150,000 866,490 10
1970s 1.39 million 894,540 3.02 million 10
1980s 3.44 million 2.69 million 4.46 million 10
1990s 3.75 million 2.45 million 4.97 million 10
2000s 2.57 million 2.16 million 2.94 million 10
2010s 4.16 million 2.30 million 6.06 million 10
2020s 6.91 million 5.96 million 8.61 million 6

Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern

  1. 11 Mali 519,738 compare
  2. 12 Nigeria 478,150 compare
  3. 13 Venezuela 417,010 compare
  4. 14 Burkina Faso 351,209 compare
  5. 15 Burundi 318,291 compare
  6. 16 Iraq 270,671 compare
  7. 17 Rwanda 244,415 compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More social development data for Africa Eastern and Southern

All data for Africa Eastern and Southern →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern was 8.61 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 Eastern and Southern?
The highest recorded value was 8.61 million in 2025.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
The lowest recorded value was 150,000 in 1960.
How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 14th 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 Eastern and Southern?
Over the last ten years it is up 105.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern 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 origin, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-gaps-filled/africa-eastern-and-southern/

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<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-gaps-filled/africa-eastern-and-southern/">Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Africa Eastern and Southern</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin 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

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

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
246 places, 10,260 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin 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.