Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum was 1.01 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia, 1968–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 1.01 million for refugee population by country or territory of asylum in 2025. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia peaked at 1.01 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5,400, in 1973.
That places Ethiopia 7th out of 183 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 20,000 | — |
| 1969 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 21,000 | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 22,730 | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 16,200 | -28.7% |
| 1973 | 5,400 | -66.7% |
| 1974 | 5,910 | +9.4% |
| 1975 | 11,150 | +88.7% |
| 1976 | 10,690 | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 10,940 | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 10,930 | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 10,930 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 10,930 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5,450 | -50.1% |
| 1982 | 5,550 | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 31,370 | +465.2% |
| 1984 | 180,480 | +475.3% |
| 1985 | 180,400 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 132,400 | -26.6% |
| 1987 | 310,500 | +134.5% |
| 1988 | 679,532 | +118.9% |
| 1989 | 710,166 | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 773,764 | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 529,620 | -31.6% |
| 1992 | 431,824 | -18.5% |
| 1993 | 272,632 | -36.9% |
| 1994 | 348,074 | +27.7% |
| 1995 | 393,479 | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 390,528 | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 323,064 | -17.3% |
| 1998 | 262,158 | -18.9% |
| 1999 | 257,683 | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 197,960 | -23.2% |
| 2001 | 152,554 | -22.9% |
| 2002 | 132,939 | -12.9% |
| 2003 | 130,274 | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 115,979 | -11.0% |
| 2005 | 100,813 | -13.1% |
| 2006 | 96,975 | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 85,179 | -12.2% |
| 2008 | 83,573 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 121,880 | +45.8% |
| 2010 | 154,288 | +26.6% |
| 2011 | 288,839 | +87.2% |
| 2012 | 376,388 | +30.3% |
| 2013 | 433,933 | +15.3% |
| 2014 | 659,520 | +52.0% |
| 2015 | 736,081 | +11.6% |
| 2016 | 791,631 | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 889,412 | +12.4% |
| 2018 | 903,226 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 733,123 | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 800,454 | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 821,283 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 879,598 | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 979,846 | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 1.01 million | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 1.01 million | +0.2% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 1.01 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 45,052, 22.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 1.01 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35,241, 28.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +475.3% | 31,370 | 180,480 |
| 1983 | +465.2% | 5,550 | 31,370 |
| 1987 | +134.5% | 132,400 | 310,500 |
| 1988 | +118.9% | 310,500 | 679,532 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 2 |
| 1970s | 12,588 | 5,400 | 22,730 | 10 |
| 1980s | 224,678 | 5,450 | 710,166 | 10 |
| 1990s | 398,283 | 257,683 | 773,764 | 10 |
| 2000s | 121,813 | 83,573 | 197,960 | 10 |
| 2010s | 596,644 | 154,288 | 903,226 | 10 |
| 2020s | 916,747 | 800,454 | 1.01 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More population data for Ethiopia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4782 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.484 (2100)
- Population density 325.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 23.22 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.484 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia?
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Ethiopia was 1.01 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,400 in 1973.
- How does Ethiopia rank for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Ethiopia ranks 7th out of 183 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of asylum rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Refugee population by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).