Afghanistan vs Syria: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Afghanistan
2.67 million
in 2025
Syria
4.87 million
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
4th
Syria rank
2nd
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- Afghanistan
- Syria
How they compare
Syria currently reports 4.87 million against 2.67 million in Afghanistan, a difference of 2.19 million.
That makes Syria's figure about 1.8 times Afghanistan's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was Afghanistan ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 4th and Syria ranks 2nd of 205 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 4 and Syria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 500,000 | 500 | 499,500 | Afghanistan |
| 1980s | 4.58 million | 699.6 | 4.58 million | Afghanistan |
| 1990s | 3.66 million | 6,218 | 3.65 million | Afghanistan |
| 2000s | 2.75 million | 14,741 | 2.74 million | Afghanistan |
| 2010s | 2.67 million | 3.71 million | 1.04 million | Syria |
| 2020s | 4.30 million | 6.21 million | 1.91 million | Syria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, Afghanistan or Syria?
- Syria, at 4.87 million against 2.67 million in Afghanistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between Afghanistan and Syria?
- 2.19 million, with Syria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Syria?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do Afghanistan and Syria rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- Afghanistan ranks 4th and Syria ranks 2nd of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Refugee population by country or territory of origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.