Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Rwanda
Rwanda: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 244,415 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Rwanda, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Rwanda stood at 244,415.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Rwanda peaked at 2.26 million in 1994 and was at its lowest, 63,792, in 2004.
Rwanda ranks 17th of 199 countries on this measure, 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 147,000 | — |
| 1962 | 147,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 154,000 | +4.8% |
| 1964 | 166,300 | +8.0% |
| 1965 | 155,900 | -6.3% |
| 1966 | 159,600 | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 160,230 | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 160,100 | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 144,930 | -9.5% |
| 1970 | 142,050 | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 141,630 | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 153,650 | +8.5% |
| 1973 | 163,595 | +6.5% |
| 1974 | 178,260 | +9.0% |
| 1975 | 175,720 | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 176,410 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 169,780 | -3.8% |
| 1978 | 175,110 | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 176,540 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 286,650 | +62.4% |
| 1981 | 277,010 | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 327,950 | +18.4% |
| 1983 | 321,760 | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 357,110 | +11.0% |
| 1985 | 376,520 | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 371,910 | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 353,440 | -5.0% |
| 1988 | 327,540 | -7.3% |
| 1989 | 319,500 | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 361,317 | +13.1% |
| 1991 | 431,239 | +19.4% |
| 1992 | 434,731 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 450,459 | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 2.26 million | +401.2% |
| 1995 | 1.82 million | -19.4% |
| 1996 | 469,132 | -74.2% |
| 1997 | 67,996 | -85.5% |
| 1998 | 77,738 | +14.3% |
| 1999 | 88,934 | +14.4% |
| 2000 | 119,051 | +33.9% |
| 2001 | 84,508 | -29.0% |
| 2002 | 75,251 | -11.0% |
| 2003 | 75,258 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 63,792 | -15.2% |
| 2005 | 100,252 | +57.2% |
| 2006 | 92,956 | -7.3% |
| 2007 | 80,955 | -12.9% |
| 2008 | 72,529 | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 129,108 | +78.0% |
| 2010 | 115,519 | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 106,832 | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 97,357 | -8.9% |
| 2013 | 83,943 | -13.8% |
| 2014 | 79,396 | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 286,357 | +260.7% |
| 2016 | 286,063 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 258,986 | -9.5% |
| 2018 | 247,469 | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 246,407 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 245,781 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 248,219 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 249,753 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 249,955 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 249,096 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 244,415 | -1.9% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 244,415 is above the median for low income countries, which is 164,215, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 244,415 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,726, 19.2× 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 Rwanda 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 | +401.2% | 450,459 | 2.26 million |
| 2015 | +260.7% | 79,396 | 286,357 |
| 1997 | -85.5% | 469,132 | 67,996 |
| 2009 | +78.0% | 72,529 | 129,108 |
| 1996 | -74.2% | 1.82 million | 469,132 |
| 1980 | +62.4% | 176,540 | 286,650 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 155,007 | 144,930 | 166,300 | 9 |
| 1970s | 165,274 | 141,630 | 178,260 | 10 |
| 1980s | 331,939 | 277,010 | 376,520 | 10 |
| 1990s | 645,849 | 67,996 | 2.26 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 89,366 | 63,792 | 129,108 | 10 |
| 2010s | 180,833 | 79,396 | 286,357 | 10 |
| 2020s | 247,870 | 244,415 | 249,955 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More social development data for Rwanda
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 115,794 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 244,415 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0168 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0079 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 1.25 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Rwanda?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Rwanda was 244,415 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 2.26 million in 1994.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 63,792 in 2004.
- How does Rwanda rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Rwanda ranks 17th 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 Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 65 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.