Ethiopia vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Refugees by country of origin

Ethiopia
164,418 people
in 2024
Iran, Islamic Republic of
158,166 people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
18th
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
19th

Refugees by country of origin over time

  • Ethiopia
  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
01.0M2.0M3.0M196719952024

How they compare

Ethiopia currently reports 164,418 people against 158,166 people in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 6,252 people.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Ethiopia ahead.

Ethiopia ranks 18th and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th of 204 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 3 and Iran, Islamic Republic of in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia Iran, Islamic Republic of Difference Ahead
1980s 1.59 million people 31,237 people 1.56 million people Ethiopia
1990s 281,190 people 105,912 people 175,278 people Ethiopia
2000s 63,848 people 96,895 people 33,047 people Iran, Islamic Republic of
2010s 82,131 people 93,098 people 10,966 people Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s 154,584 people 142,137 people 12,447 people Ethiopia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Ethiopia or Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Ethiopia, at 164,418 people against 158,166 people in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2024.
What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Ethiopia and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
6,252 people, with Ethiopia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Iran, Islamic Republic of?
45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
How do Ethiopia and Iran, Islamic Republic of rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
Ethiopia ranks 18th and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th of 204 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNHCR (2025) – 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.

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Ethiopia vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Refugees by country of origin. Statizoid, drawing on UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/refugee-population-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-2/ethiopia/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees by country of origin
Unit
people
Source
UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
204 places, 7,190 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

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.