Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malawi
Malawi: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 551 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malawi, 1966–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi stood at 551.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and up 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi peaked at 30,350 in 1975 and was at its lowest, 5, in 1988.
Malawi ranks 115th of 199 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 150 | — |
| 1967 | 300 | +100.0% |
| 1968 | 140 | -53.3% |
| 1969 | 190 | +35.7% |
| 1970 | 250 | +31.6% |
| 1971 | 250 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 250 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 100 | -60.0% |
| 1974 | 80 | -20.0% |
| 1975 | 30,350 | +37837.5% |
| 1976 | 60 | -99.8% |
| 1977 | 1,050 | +1650.0% |
| 1978 | 310 | -70.5% |
| 1979 | 460 | +48.4% |
| 1980 | 420 | -8.7% |
| 1981 | 70 | -83.3% |
| 1982 | 240 | +242.9% |
| 1983 | 440 | +83.3% |
| 1984 | 440 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 450 | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 440 | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 450 | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 5 | -98.9% |
| 1989 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 55 | +1000.0% |
| 1991 | 50 | -9.1% |
| 1992 | 50 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 43 | -14.0% |
| 1994 | 60 | +39.5% |
| 1995 | 37 | -38.3% |
| 1996 | 40 | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 37 | -7.5% |
| 1998 | 27 | -27.0% |
| 1999 | 34 | +25.9% |
| 2000 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 26 | -23.5% |
| 2002 | 48 | +84.6% |
| 2003 | 60 | +25.0% |
| 2004 | 95 | +58.3% |
| 2005 | 98 | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 112 | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 93 | -17.0% |
| 2008 | 103 | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 126 | +22.3% |
| 2010 | 168 | +33.3% |
| 2011 | 216 | +28.6% |
| 2012 | 273 | +26.4% |
| 2013 | 323 | +18.3% |
| 2014 | 356 | +10.2% |
| 2015 | 429 | +20.5% |
| 2016 | 427 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 434 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 472 | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 514 | +8.9% |
| 2020 | 514 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 513 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 499 | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 531 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 570 | +7.3% |
| 2025 | 551 | -3.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 551 is below the median for low income countries, which is 164,215, 0% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 551 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,726, 4% of 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 Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +37837.5% | 80 | 30,350 |
| 1977 | +1650.0% | 60 | 1,050 |
| 1990 | +1000.0% | 5 | 55 |
| 1982 | +242.9% | 70 | 240 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 195 | 140 | 300 | 4 |
| 1970s | 3,316 | 60 | 30,350 | 10 |
| 1980s | 296 | 5 | 450 | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.3 | 27 | 60 | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.5 | 26 | 126 | 10 |
| 2010s | 361.2 | 168 | 514 | 10 |
| 2020s | 529.67 | 499 | 570 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More social development data for Malawi
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,241 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 551 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate -33.33 % 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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0016 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 -0.7575 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malawi was 551 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 30,350 in 1975.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 in 1988.
- How does Malawi rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Malawi ranks 115th 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 Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 60 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.