Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Nigeria
Nigeria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 478,150 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Nigeria, 1968–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 478,150 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 184.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Nigeria peaked at 478,150 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 12th 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 51,100 | — |
| 1969 | 2,850 | -94.4% |
| 1970 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1987 | 5 | — |
| 1988 | 15 | +200.0% |
| 1989 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 15 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 22 | +46.7% |
| 1992 | 75 | +240.9% |
| 1993 | 95 | +26.7% |
| 1994 | 587 | +517.9% |
| 1995 | 1,942 | +230.8% |
| 1996 | 4,751 | +144.6% |
| 1997 | 3,043 | -36.0% |
| 1998 | 3,998 | +31.4% |
| 1999 | 4,440 | +11.1% |
| 2000 | 5,735 | +29.2% |
| 2001 | 6,077 | +6.0% |
| 2002 | 24,559 | +304.1% |
| 2003 | 24,414 | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 23,882 | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 22,123 | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 13,242 | -40.1% |
| 2007 | 13,898 | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 14,170 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 15,609 | +10.2% |
| 2010 | 15,645 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 17,140 | +9.6% |
| 2012 | 18,017 | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 31,173 | +73.0% |
| 2014 | 90,936 | +191.7% |
| 2015 | 167,973 | +84.7% |
| 2016 | 229,290 | +36.5% |
| 2017 | 238,977 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 276,834 | +15.8% |
| 2019 | 295,578 | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 352,960 | +19.4% |
| 2021 | 383,660 | +8.7% |
| 2022 | 391,120 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 410,308 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | 467,605 | +14.0% |
| 2025 | 478,150 | +2.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 478,150 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,568, 50.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 478,150 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,726, 37.6× 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 Nigeria 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 | +517.9% | 95 | 587 |
| 2002 | +304.1% | 6,077 | 24,559 |
| 1992 | +240.9% | 22 | 75 |
| 1995 | +230.8% | 587 | 1,942 |
| 1988 | +200.0% | 5 | 15 |
| 2014 | +191.7% | 31,173 | 90,936 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26,975 | 2,850 | 51,100 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980s | 11.67 | 5 | 15 | 3 |
| 1990s | 1,897 | 15 | 4,751 | 10 |
| 2000s | 16,371 | 5,735 | 24,559 | 10 |
| 2010s | 138,156 | 15,645 | 295,578 | 10 |
| 2020s | 413,967 | 352,960 | 478,150 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 9 Central African Republic 674,222 compare
- 10 Eritrea 554,891 compare
- 11 Mali 519,738 compare
- 13 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 417,010 compare
- 14 Burkina Faso 351,209 compare
- 15 Burundi 318,291 compare
More social development data for Nigeria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 123,848 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (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 0.002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 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 28.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Nigeria?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Nigeria was 478,150 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 478,150 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Nigeria ranks 12th 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 Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 184.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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 — 42 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.