South Africa vs Tanzania: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
South Africa
1,319
in 2025
Tanzania
1,592
in 2025
South Africa rank
100th
Tanzania rank
98th
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- South Africa
- Tanzania
How they compare
Tanzania currently reports 1,592 against 1,319 in South Africa, a difference of 273.
That makes Tanzania's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 49 shared years of data; in 1974 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 100th and Tanzania ranks 98th of 205 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Tanzania in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tanzania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3,415 | 322 | 3,093 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 27,356 | 851.88 | 26,504 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 4,722 | 54.7 | 4,667 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 317.8 | 985.2 | 667.4 | Tanzania |
| 2010s | 433.8 | 873.6 | 439.8 | Tanzania |
| 2020s | 885.5 | 1,001 | 115.5 | Tanzania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, South Africa or Tanzania?
- Tanzania, at 1,592 against 1,319 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between South Africa and Tanzania?
- 273, with Tanzania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tanzania?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Tanzania rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- South Africa ranks 100th and Tanzania ranks 98th 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.