Iraq vs Rwanda: Refugees by country of origin
Iraq
305,493 people
in 2024
Rwanda
249,087 people
in 2024
Iraq rank
15th
Rwanda rank
16th
Refugees by country of origin over time
- Iraq
- Rwanda
How they compare
Iraq currently reports 305,493 people against 249,087 people in Rwanda, a difference of 56,406 people.
That makes Iraq's figure about 1.2 times Rwanda's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 49 shared years of data; in 1968 it was Rwanda ahead.
Iraq ranks 15th and Rwanda ranks 16th of 204 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 4 and Rwanda in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,700 people | 152,515 people | 149,815 people | Rwanda |
| 1970s | 15,780 people | 175,825 people | 160,045 people | Rwanda |
| 1980s | 263,642 people | 331,939 people | 68,297 people | Rwanda |
| 1990s | 877,907 people | 645,849 people | 232,058 people | Iraq |
| 2000s | 987,084 people | 89,366 people | 897,718 people | Iraq |
| 2010s | 628,080 people | 180,833 people | 447,247 people | Iraq |
| 2020s | 319,806 people | 248,555 people | 71,250 people | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Iraq or Rwanda?
- Iraq, at 305,493 people against 249,087 people in Rwanda as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Iraq and Rwanda?
- 56,406 people, with Iraq ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Rwanda?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2024.
- How do Iraq and Rwanda rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- Iraq ranks 15th and Rwanda ranks 16th 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.
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.