Portugal vs South Africa: Refugees by country of asylum
Portugal
68,603 people
in 2024
South Africa
71,171 people
in 2024
Portugal rank
59th
South Africa rank
58th
Refugees by country of asylum over time
- Portugal
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 71,171 people against 68,603 people in Portugal, a difference of 2,568 people.
Across all 32 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Portugal ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 58th 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 people | 70,813 people | 70,470 people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 390.1 people | 30,426 people | 30,036 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,070 people | 82,821 people | 81,750 people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 39,249 people | 71,431 people | 32,182 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of asylum, Portugal or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 71,171 people against 68,603 people in Portugal as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of asylum between Portugal and South Africa?
- 2,568 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2024.
- How do Portugal and South Africa rank globally for refugees by country of asylum?
- Portugal ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 58th of 183 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNHCR (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.