Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Africa
South Africa: Internally displaced persons was 27,654 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
27,654
Change on year
up 274.5%
World rank
53rd
of 104 countries
All-time high
27,654
in 2025
All-time low
14
in 2020
Years of data
7
2019–2025
Internally displaced persons in South Africa, 2019–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2025, internally displaced persons in South Africa stood at 27,654. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 274.5% on the previous year and up 23,138.7% over ten years.
That places South Africa 53rd out of 104 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Internally displaced persons in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 119 | — |
| 2020 | 14 | -88.2% |
| 2021 | 7,840 | +55900.0% |
| 2022 | 215 | -97.3% |
| 2023 | 6,605 | +2972.1% |
| 2024 | 7,385 | +11.8% |
| 2025 | 27,654 | +274.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 27,654 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 100,580, 27% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 27,654 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27,570, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 119 | 119 | 119 | 1 |
| 2020s | 8,286 | 14 | 27,654 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)
- Population density 77.75 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internally displaced persons in South Africa?
- Internally displaced persons in South Africa was 27,654 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest internally displaced persons recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27,654 in 2025.
- What is the lowest internally displaced persons recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for internally displaced persons?
- South Africa ranks 53rd out of 104 countries with data for 2025.
- Is internally displaced persons rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23,138.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Internally displaced persons (IDPs). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).