Iran, Islamic Republic of vs Western Sahara: Refugees by country of origin
Refugees by country of origin over time
- Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Western Sahara
How they compare
Western Sahara currently reports 174,578 people against 158,166 people in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 16,412 people.
That makes Western Sahara's figure about 1.1 times Iran, Islamic Republic of's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Western Sahara ahead.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th and Western Sahara ranks 17th of 204 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 1 and Western Sahara in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran, Islamic Republic of | Western Sahara | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31,237 people | 153,719 people | 122,482 people | Western Sahara |
| 1990s | 105,912 people | 165,576 people | 59,664 people | Western Sahara |
| 2000s | 96,895 people | 135,991 people | 39,096 people | Western Sahara |
| 2010s | 93,098 people | 116,590 people | 23,493 people | Western Sahara |
| 2020s | 142,137 people | 118,109 people | 24,028 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Iran, Islamic Republic of or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara, at 174,578 people against 158,166 people in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Iran, Islamic Republic of and Western Sahara?
- 16,412 people, with Western Sahara ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and Western Sahara?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and Western Sahara rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 19th 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.