Forcibly displaced people in Zambia

Zambia: Forcibly displaced people was 96,131 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
96,131
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
82nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
96,131
in 2025
All-time low
25,801
in 2013
Years of data
16
2010–2025

Forcibly displaced people in Zambia, 2010–2025

20.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2010201720252010: 48.2k2011: 46.6k2012: 26.8k2013: 25.8k2014: 27.7k2015: 28.8k2016: 32.7k2017: 45.9k2018: 53.2k2019: 62.6k2020: 70.4k2021: 79.5k2022: 63.9k2023: 78.0k2024: 89.1k2025: 96.1k

Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Analysis

The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Zambia is 96,131, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.9% on the previous year and up 233.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Zambia peaked at 96,131 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 25,801, in 2013.

That places Zambia 82nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 39,840 25,801 62,585 10
2020s 79,507 63,933 96,131 6

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 79 Honduras 101,711 compare
  2. 80 Dominican Republic 100,533 compare
  3. 81 Denmark 97,745 compare
  4. 83 Bosnia and Herzegovina 95,750 compare
  5. 84 Cote d'Ivoire 82,807 compare
  6. 85 Papua New Guinea 80,848 compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More social development data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is forcibly displaced people in Zambia?
Forcibly displaced people in Zambia was 96,131 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 96,131 in 2025.
What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 25,801 in 2013.
How does Zambia rank for forcibly displaced people?
Zambia ranks 82nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 233.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia 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

Indicator
Forcibly displaced people
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 3,518 data points, 2010–2025
Last refreshed

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.