Ethiopia vs Sudan: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum
Ethiopia
1.01 million
in 2025
Sudan
809,816
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
7th
Sudan rank
9th
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum over time
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 1.01 million against 809,816 in Sudan, a difference of 200,654.
That makes Ethiopia's figure about 1.2 times Sudan's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 58 shared years of data; in 1968 it was Sudan ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 7th and Sudan ranks 9th of 183 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 1 and Sudan in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,000 | 37,825 | 17,825 | Sudan |
| 1970s | 12,588 | 125,176 | 112,588 | Sudan |
| 1980s | 224,678 | 780,200 | 555,522 | Sudan |
| 1990s | 398,283 | 618,337 | 220,055 | Sudan |
| 2000s | 121,813 | 230,614 | 108,801 | Sudan |
| 2010s | 596,644 | 467,902 | 128,742 | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 916,747 | 961,171 | 44,424 | Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of asylum, Ethiopia or Sudan?
- Ethiopia, at 1.01 million against 809,816 in Sudan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of asylum between Ethiopia and Sudan?
- 200,654, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Sudan?
- 58 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and Sudan rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Ethiopia ranks 7th and Sudan ranks 9th 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.