Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Africa
South Africa: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 0.0008 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Africa, 1966–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0008 units per square kilometre for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2023.
That represents a change of up 17.2% on the previous year and up 116.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Africa peaked at 0.0318 units per square kilometre in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.0001 units per square kilometre, in 2001.
That places South Africa 154th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1967 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 1968 | 0.0006 units per square kilometre | +64.4% |
| 1969 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -60.8% |
| 1970 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +58.6% |
| 1971 | 0.0007 units per square kilometre | +84.8% |
| 1972 | 0.0007 units per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1973 | 0.0008 units per square kilometre | +19.0% |
| 1974 | 0.0011 units per square kilometre | +46.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0011 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 0.0018 units per square kilometre | +60.3% |
| 1977 | 0.002 units per square kilometre | +9.9% |
| 1978 | 0.0032 units per square kilometre | +60.3% |
| 1979 | 0.006 units per square kilometre | +89.6% |
| 1980 | 0.02 units per square kilometre | +233.1% |
| 1981 | 0.0205 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 0.0234 units per square kilometre | +14.2% |
| 1983 | 0.0285 units per square kilometre | +21.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0318 units per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 1985 | 0.0314 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 0.0274 units per square kilometre | -12.8% |
| 1987 | 0.0216 units per square kilometre | -21.3% |
| 1988 | 0.0205 units per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1989 | 0.0141 units per square kilometre | -31.2% |
| 1990 | 0.0122 units per square kilometre | -13.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0092 units per square kilometre | -24.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0076 units per square kilometre | -17.5% |
| 1993 | 0.0075 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 0.0012 units per square kilometre | -83.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | -67.5% |
| 1996 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -41.9% |
| 1997 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -15.7% |
| 1998 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -23.7% |
| 1999 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -11.6% |
| 2001 | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | -22.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +106.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +93.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | -15.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | -8.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 0.0005 units per square kilometre | +35.7% |
| 2022 | 0.0006 units per square kilometre | +21.9% |
| 2023 | 0.0008 units per square kilometre | +17.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0008 units per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0448 units per square kilometre, 2% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0008 units per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.046 units per square kilometre, 2% 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 South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +233.1% | 0.006 units per square kilometre | 0.02 units per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | 0.0006 units per square kilometre | 4 |
| 1970s | 0.0018 units per square kilometre | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 0.006 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0239 units per square kilometre | 0.0141 units per square kilometre | 0.0318 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0039 units per square kilometre | 0.0002 units per square kilometre | 0.0122 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | 0.0001 units per square kilometre | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 0.0003 units per square kilometre | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0006 units per square kilometre | 0.0004 units per square kilometre | 0.0008 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 151 Madagascar 0.001 units per square kilometre compare
- 152 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 0.0009 units per square kilometre compare
- 153 Greece 0.0008 units per square kilometre compare
- 155 Germany 0.0006 units per square kilometre compare
- 156 Namibia 0.0005 units per square kilometre compare
- 157 Cyprus 0.0005 units per square kilometre compare
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % 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 1,319 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 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 South Africa?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Africa was 0.0008 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0318 units per square kilometre in 1984.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0001 units per square kilometre in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- South Africa ranks 154th 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 South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 116.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 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 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.