Forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Forcibly displaced people was 27.46 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern is 27.46 million, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.6% on the previous year and up 109.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 31.40 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.53 million, in 2011.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.13 million | 8.53 million | 18.81 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.39 million | 20.51 million | 31.40 million | 6 |
More social development data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 6.12 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 8.61 million (2025)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 1.88 million (2025)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 791,897 (2025)
- Internally displaced people (IDP) by country or territory of asylum / 20.55 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Forcibly displaced people in Africa Eastern and Southern was 27.46 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 31.40 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.53 million in 2011.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 109.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.