Ethiopia vs Rwanda: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Ethiopia
164,215
in 2025
Rwanda
244,415
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
20th
Rwanda rank
17th
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- Ethiopia
- Rwanda
How they compare
Rwanda currently reports 244,415 against 164,215 in Ethiopia, a difference of 80,200.
That makes Rwanda's figure about 1.5 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 59 shared years of data; in 1967 it was Rwanda ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 20th and Rwanda ranks 17th of 205 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and Rwanda in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30,200 | 155,087 | 124,887 | Rwanda |
| 1970s | 361,369 | 165,274 | 196,094 | Ethiopia |
| 1980s | 1.59 million | 331,939 | 1.26 million | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 281,190 | 645,849 | 364,659 | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 63,848 | 89,366 | 25,518 | Rwanda |
| 2010s | 82,131 | 180,833 | 98,702 | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 156,190 | 247,870 | 91,680 | Rwanda |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, Ethiopia or Rwanda?
- Rwanda, at 244,415 against 164,215 in Ethiopia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between Ethiopia and Rwanda?
- 80,200, with Rwanda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Rwanda?
- 59 years are reported by both, from 1967 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and Rwanda rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- Ethiopia ranks 20th and Rwanda ranks 17th 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.