Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Eritrea
Eritrea: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 554,891 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Eritrea, 1979–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Eritrea recorded 554,891 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 36.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Eritrea peaked at 559,853 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 43, in 1989.
That places Eritrea 10th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
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 Eritrea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 400 | — |
| 1980 | 542 | +35.5% |
| 1981 | 1,542 | +184.5% |
| 1982 | 1,585 | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 1,385 | -12.6% |
| 1984 | 1,385 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1,385 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 177 | -87.2% |
| 1987 | 167 | -5.6% |
| 1988 | 133 | -20.4% |
| 1989 | 43 | -67.7% |
| 1990 | 43 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 500,633 | +1164162.8% |
| 1992 | 503,200 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 427,208 | -15.1% |
| 1994 | 422,432 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 286,711 | -32.1% |
| 1996 | 332,222 | +15.9% |
| 1997 | 319,076 | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 346,779 | +8.7% |
| 1999 | 347,134 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 376,847 | +8.6% |
| 2001 | 333,222 | -11.6% |
| 2002 | 318,167 | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 124,111 | -61.0% |
| 2004 | 131,108 | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 144,062 | +9.9% |
| 2006 | 193,738 | +34.5% |
| 2007 | 208,747 | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 186,392 | -10.7% |
| 2009 | 209,164 | +12.2% |
| 2010 | 222,457 | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 251,941 | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 285,356 | +13.3% |
| 2013 | 308,210 | +8.0% |
| 2014 | 363,081 | +17.8% |
| 2015 | 407,428 | +12.2% |
| 2016 | 457,247 | +12.2% |
| 2017 | 486,209 | +6.3% |
| 2018 | 507,260 | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 504,300 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 524,738 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 511,911 | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 512,674 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 559,853 | +9.2% |
| 2024 | 551,296 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 554,891 | +0.7% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 554,891 is above the median for low income countries, which is 164,215, 3.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 554,891 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,726, 43.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Eritrea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +1164162.8% | 43 | 500,633 |
| 1981 | +184.5% | 542 | 1,542 |
| 1986 | -87.2% | 1,385 | 177 |
| 1989 | -67.7% | 133 | 43 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 400 | 400 | 400 | 1 |
| 1980s | 834.4 | 43 | 1,585 | 10 |
| 1990s | 348,544 | 43 | 503,200 | 10 |
| 2000s | 222,556 | 124,111 | 376,847 | 10 |
| 2010s | 379,349 | 222,457 | 507,260 | 10 |
| 2020s | 535,894 | 511,911 | 559,853 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.18 million compare
- 8 Somalia 892,037 compare
- 9 Central African Republic 674,222 compare
- 11 Mali 519,738 compare
- 12 Nigeria 478,150 compare
- 13 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 417,010 compare
More social development data for Eritrea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 119 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 554,891 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.1538 units per person (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Eritrea?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Eritrea was 554,891 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 559,853 in 2023.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 43 in 1989.
- How does Eritrea rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Eritrea ranks 10th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 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 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
- 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 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.