Portugal vs South Africa: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum
Portugal
70,349
in 2025
South Africa
55,177
in 2025
Portugal rank
58th
South Africa rank
61st
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum over time
- Portugal
- South Africa
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 70,349 against 55,177 in South Africa, a difference of 15,172.
That makes Portugal's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1993 it was South Africa ahead.
Portugal ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 61st of 183 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 342.29 | 70,813 | 70,470 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 390.1 | 30,426 | 30,036 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,070 | 82,821 | 81,750 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 44,432 | 68,722 | 24,290 | 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, Portugal or South Africa?
- Portugal, at 70,349 against 55,177 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of asylum between Portugal and South Africa?
- 15,172, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and South Africa?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2025.
- How do Portugal and South Africa rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Portugal ranks 58th 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.