Malaysia vs South Africa: Refugees by country of origin
Malaysia
1,209 people
in 2024
South Africa
1,174 people
in 2024
Malaysia rank
100th
South Africa rank
101st
Refugees by country of origin over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 1,209 people against 1,174 people in South Africa, a difference of 35 people.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 100th and South Africa ranks 101st of 204 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.33 people | 3,604 people | 3,544 people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 350.6 people | 317.8 people | 32.8 people | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 569.1 people | 433.8 people | 135.3 people | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 1,161 people | 798.8 people | 362.6 people | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 1,209 people against 1,174 people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 35 people, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2024.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for refugees by country of origin?
- Malaysia ranks 100th and South Africa ranks 101st 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.