Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Kenya
Kenya: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 13,325 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Kenya, 1975–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Kenya is 13,325, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.9% on the previous year and up 68.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Kenya peaked at 13,325 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7, in 1990.
That places Kenya 56th out of 199 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 90 | — |
| 1976 | 645 | +616.7% |
| 1977 | 1,200 | +86.0% |
| 1978 | 80 | -93.3% |
| 1979 | 80 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 7 | -91.2% |
| 1991 | 31 | +342.9% |
| 1992 | 61 | +96.8% |
| 1993 | 83 | +36.1% |
| 1994 | 8,772 | +10468.7% |
| 1995 | 9,320 | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 9,390 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 9,563 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 6,037 | -36.9% |
| 1999 | 6,131 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 2,367 | -61.4% |
| 2001 | 2,551 | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 3,089 | +21.1% |
| 2003 | 3,159 | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 3,842 | +21.6% |
| 2005 | 4,638 | +20.7% |
| 2006 | 5,356 | +15.5% |
| 2007 | 7,544 | +40.9% |
| 2008 | 9,682 | +28.3% |
| 2009 | 9,609 | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 8,585 | -10.7% |
| 2011 | 8,731 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 8,946 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 8,580 | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 8,546 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 7,902 | -7.5% |
| 2016 | 7,526 | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 7,567 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 7,480 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 7,705 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 7,422 | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 7,529 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 7,595 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 8,004 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 11,696 | +46.1% |
| 2025 | 13,325 | +13.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 13,325 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,568, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 13,325 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,726, 1.0× 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 Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +10468.7% | 83 | 8,772 |
| 1976 | +616.7% | 90 | 645 |
| 1991 | +342.9% | 7 | 31 |
| 1978 | -93.3% | 1,200 | 80 |
| 1992 | +96.8% | 31 | 61 |
| 1990 | -91.2% | 80 | 7 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 419 | 80 | 1,200 | 5 |
| 1990s | 4,940 | 7 | 9,563 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,184 | 2,367 | 9,682 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,157 | 7,480 | 8,946 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,262 | 7,422 | 13,325 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More social development data for Kenya
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 617,125 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13,325 (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 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0107 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 2.13 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Kenya?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Kenya was 13,325 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 13,325 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 7 in 1990.
- How does Kenya rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Kenya ranks 56th 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 Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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 — 41 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.