Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Somalia
Somalia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 1.34 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Somalia, 1975–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 1.34 units per square kilometre for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2023.
The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and down 24.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Somalia peaked at 1.81 units per square kilometre in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0001 units per square kilometre, in 1981.
That places Somalia 15th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1976 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -54.5% |
| 1977 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 1978 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +50.0% |
| 1979 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +48.9% |
| 1981 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -74.6% |
| 1982 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +247.1% |
| 1983 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -66.9% |
| 1984 | 0.001 units per square kilometre | +1538.5% |
| 1985 | 0.0029 units per square kilometre | +186.4% |
| 1986 | 0.005 units per square kilometre | +71.7% |
| 1987 | 0.0959 units per square kilometre | +1814.8% |
| 1988 | 0.5611 units per square kilometre | +485.1% |
| 1989 | 0.5743 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 0.7495 units per square kilometre | +30.5% |
| 1991 | 1.17 units per square kilometre | +55.8% |
| 1992 | 1.29 units per square kilometre | +10.9% |
| 1993 | 0.916 units per square kilometre | -29.3% |
| 1994 | 1.01 units per square kilometre | +9.9% |
| 1995 | 1.02 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.02 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 0.9693 units per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 0.8894 units per square kilometre | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 0.8362 units per square kilometre | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 0.7582 units per square kilometre | -9.3% |
| 2001 | 0.7016 units per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2002 | 0.6891 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.6413 units per square kilometre | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 0.6205 units per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 0.6305 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 0.7397 units per square kilometre | +17.3% |
| 2007 | 0.729 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 0.8945 units per square kilometre | +22.7% |
| 2009 | 1.08 units per square kilometre | +20.9% |
| 2010 | 1.23 units per square kilometre | +13.5% |
| 2011 | 1.72 units per square kilometre | +39.8% |
| 2012 | 1.81 units per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 1.79 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 1.76 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.79 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.61 units per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 1.57 units per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 1.51 units per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 1.44 units per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 1.29 units per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 1.24 units per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 1.25 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 1.34 units per square kilometre | +7.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 1.34 units per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.2005 units per square kilometre, 6.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 1.34 units per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.046 units per square kilometre, 29.2× 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 Somalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +1814.8% | 0.005 units per square kilometre | 0.0959 units per square kilometre |
| 1984 | +1538.5% | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.001 units per square kilometre |
| 1988 | +485.1% | 0.0959 units per square kilometre | 0.5611 units per square kilometre |
| 1982 | +247.1% | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.0002 units per square kilometre |
| 1985 | +186.4% | 0.001 units per square kilometre | 0.0029 units per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | 5 |
| 1980s | 0.1241 units per square kilometre | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.5743 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9863 units per square kilometre | 0.7495 units per square kilometre | 1.29 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7486 units per square kilometre | 0.6205 units per square kilometre | 1.08 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.62 units per square kilometre | 1.23 units per square kilometre | 1.81 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.28 units per square kilometre | 1.24 units per square kilometre | 1.34 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 12 Sri Lanka 2.35 units per square kilometre compare
- 13 Myanmar 1.97 units per square kilometre compare
- 14 Azerbaijan 1.91 units per square kilometre compare
- 16 Central African Republic 1.22 units per square kilometre compare
- 17 Comoros 1.18 units per square kilometre compare
- 18 Sudan 0.8013 units per square kilometre compare
More social development data for Somalia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,967 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 892,037 (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 0.0454 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 892,037 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0011 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Somalia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Somalia was 1.34 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.81 units per square kilometre in 2012.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0001 units per square kilometre in 1981.
- How does Somalia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Somalia ranks 15th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.