Iran vs Western Sahara: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Iran
157,912
in 2025
Western Sahara
174,607
in 2025
Iran rank
21st
Western Sahara rank
19th
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- Iran
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 174,607 against 157,912 in Iran, a difference of 16,695.
That makes Western Sahara's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 46 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Western Sahara ahead.
Iran ranks 21st and Western Sahara ranks 19th of 205 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 1 and Western Sahara in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31,237 | 153,719 | 122,482 | Western Sahara |
| 1990s | 105,912 | 165,576 | 59,664 | Western Sahara |
| 2000s | 96,895 | 135,991 | 39,096 | Western Sahara |
| 2010s | 93,098 | 116,590 | 23,493 | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 144,769 | 127,525 | 17,244 | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, Iran or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 174,607 against 157,912 in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between Iran and Western Sahara?
- 16,695, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Western Sahara?
- 46 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Western Sahara rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- Iran ranks 21st and Western Sahara ranks 19th 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.