Ethiopia vs Western Sahara: Refugees by country of origin
Ethiopia
164,418 people
in 2024
Western Sahara
174,578 people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
18th
Western Sahara rank
17th
Refugees by country of origin over time
- Ethiopia
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 174,578 people against 164,418 people in Ethiopia, a difference of 10,160 people.
That makes Western Sahara's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1975 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 18th and Western Sahara ranks 17th of 204 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 4 and Western Sahara in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 672,800 people | 41,000 people | 631,800 people | Ethiopia |
| 1980s | 1.59 million people | 153,719 people | 1.44 million people | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 281,190 people | 165,576 people | 115,614 people | Ethiopia |
| 2000s | 63,848 people | 135,991 people | 72,143 people | Western Sahara |
| 2010s | 82,131 people | 116,590 people | 34,459 people | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 154,584 people | 118,109 people | 36,475 people | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Ethiopia or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 174,578 people against 164,418 people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Ethiopia and Western Sahara?
- 10,160 people, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Western Sahara?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2024.
- How do Ethiopia and Western Sahara rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- Ethiopia ranks 18th and Western Sahara ranks 17th 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.