Congo vs South Africa: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum
Congo
62,500
in 2025
South Africa
55,177
in 2025
Congo rank
59th
South Africa rank
61st
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum over time
- Congo
- South Africa
How they compare
Congo currently reports 62,500 against 55,177 in South Africa, a difference of 7,323.
That makes Congo's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1993 it was South Africa ahead.
Congo ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 61st of 183 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Congo averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Congo | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22,396 | 70,813 | 48,417 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 80,794 | 30,426 | 50,368 | Congo |
| 2010s | 68,172 | 82,821 | 14,649 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 49,101 | 68,722 | 19,620 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of asylum, Congo or South Africa?
- Congo, at 62,500 against 55,177 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of asylum between Congo and South Africa?
- 7,323, with Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Congo and South Africa?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2025.
- How do Congo and South Africa rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Congo ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 61st of 183 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Refugee population by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.