Forcibly displaced people in South Africa
South Africa: Forcibly displaced people was 137,535 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in South Africa, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, forcibly displaced people in South Africa stood at 137,535. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of down 19.8% on the previous year and down 88.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in South Africa peaked at 1.22 million in 2015 and was at its lowest, 137,535, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 71st of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 402,887 | 229,601 | 1.22 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 184,625 | 137,535 | 250,190 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 1,319 (2025)
- Physical Integrity Rights Score -0.5153 (2019)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 2,575 (2025)
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 82,358 (2025)
- Press freedom 1 (2016)
- Self-reported life satisfaction 5.01 (2025)
- Share of people agreeing with the statement "most people can be trusted" 23.3% (2014)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in South Africa?
- Forcibly displaced people in South Africa was 137,535 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.22 million in 2015.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 137,535 in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for forcibly displaced people?
- South Africa ranks 71st out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 88.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa 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.