Afghanistan vs Syrian Arab Republic: Refugees by country of origin
Afghanistan
5.77 million people
in 2024
Syrian Arab Republic
5.95 million people
in 2024
Afghanistan rank
2nd
Syrian Arab Republic rank
1st
Refugees by country of origin over time
- Afghanistan
- Syrian Arab Republic
How they compare
Syrian Arab Republic currently reports 5.95 million people against 5.77 million people in Afghanistan, a difference of 185,600 people.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 46 shared years of data; in 1979 it was Afghanistan ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 2nd and Syrian Arab Republic ranks 1st of 204 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 4 and Syrian Arab Republic in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Syrian Arab Republic | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 500,000 people | 500 people | 499,500 people | Afghanistan |
| 1980s | 4.58 million people | 699.6 people | 4.58 million people | Afghanistan |
| 1990s | 3.66 million people | 6,218 people | 3.65 million people | Afghanistan |
| 2000s | 2.75 million people | 14,741 people | 2.74 million people | Afghanistan |
| 2010s | 2.67 million people | 3.71 million people | 1.04 million people | Syrian Arab Republic |
| 2020s | 4.63 million people | 6.48 million people | 1.86 million people | Syrian Arab Republic |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Afghanistan or Syrian Arab Republic?
- Syrian Arab Republic, at 5.95 million people against 5.77 million people in Afghanistan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Afghanistan and Syrian Arab Republic?
- 185,600 people, with Syrian Arab Republic ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Syrian Arab Republic?
- 46 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2024.
- How do Afghanistan and Syrian Arab Republic rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- Afghanistan ranks 2nd and Syrian Arab Republic ranks 1st of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNHCR (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Refugees by country of origin. 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, not just those who fled that year.