Sudan vs Syria: Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Sudan
2.82 million
in 2025
Syria
4.87 million
in 2025
Sudan rank
3rd
Syria rank
2nd
Refugee population by country or territory of origin over time
- Sudan
- Syria
How they compare
Syria currently reports 4.87 million against 2.82 million in Sudan, a difference of 2.05 million.
That makes Syria's figure about 1.7 times Sudan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 49 shared years of data; in 1968 it was Sudan ahead.
Sudan ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 2nd of 205 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Sudan averaged higher in 5 and Syria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sudan | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 172,950 | 1,200 | 171,750 | Sudan |
| 1970s | 10,850 | 500 | 10,350 | Sudan |
| 1980s | 158,560 | 699.6 | 157,860 | Sudan |
| 1990s | 394,760 | 6,218 | 388,543 | Sudan |
| 2000s | 552,038 | 14,741 | 537,297 | Sudan |
| 2010s | 620,269 | 3.71 million | 3.09 million | Syria |
| 2020s | 1.48 million | 6.21 million | 4.74 million | Syria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of origin, Sudan or Syria?
- Syria, at 4.87 million against 2.82 million in Sudan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of origin between Sudan and Syria?
- 2.05 million, with Syria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sudan and Syria?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2025.
- How do Sudan and Syria rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
- Sudan ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 2nd 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.