Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Kenya
Kenya: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum was 604,257 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
604,257
Change on year
up 12.1%
World rank
14th
of 183 countries
All-time high
604,257
in 2024
All-time low
930
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 604,257 for refugee population by country or territory of asylum in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.1% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Kenya peaked at 604,257 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 930, in 1970.
That places Kenya 14th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 930 | — |
| 1971 | 2,600 | +179.6% |
| 1972 | 2,490 | -4.2% |
| 1973 | 2,970 | +19.3% |
| 1974 | 2,740 | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 2,450 | -10.6% |
| 1976 | 2,500 | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 6,010 | +140.4% |
| 1978 | 6,500 | +8.2% |
| 1979 | 5,810 | -10.6% |
| 1980 | 3,510 | -39.6% |
| 1981 | 3,380 | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 4,760 | +40.8% |
| 1983 | 6,760 | +42.0% |
| 1984 | 8,060 | +19.2% |
| 1985 | 8,790 | +9.1% |
| 1986 | 8,040 | -8.5% |
| 1987 | 10,220 | +27.1% |
| 1988 | 12,810 | +25.3% |
| 1989 | 12,654 | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 14,249 | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 120,163 | +743.3% |
| 1992 | 402,194 | +234.7% |
| 1993 | 301,595 | -25.0% |
| 1994 | 252,423 | -16.3% |
| 1995 | 234,665 | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 223,640 | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 232,097 | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 238,187 | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 223,696 | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 206,108 | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 239,221 | +16.1% |
| 2002 | 233,671 | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 237,509 | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 239,833 | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 251,268 | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 272,529 | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 265,729 | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 320,598 | +20.6% |
| 2009 | 358,916 | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 402,891 | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 566,482 | +40.6% |
| 2012 | 564,921 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 534,935 | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 551,351 | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 553,907 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 451,097 | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 431,895 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 421,243 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 438,899 | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 452,916 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 481,048 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 504,473 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 538,899 | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 604,257 | +12.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3,500 | 930 | 6,500 | 10 |
| 1980s | 7,898 | 3,380 | 12,810 | 10 |
| 1990s | 224,291 | 14,249 | 402,194 | 10 |
| 2000s | 262,538 | 206,108 | 358,916 | 10 |
| 2010s | 491,762 | 402,891 | 566,482 | 10 |
| 2020s | 516,319 | 452,916 | 604,257 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 11 Lebanon 758,642 compare
- 12 France 721,771 compare
- 13 Jordan 643,641 compare
- 15 Democratic Republic of Congo 517,404 compare
- 16 United Kingdom 515,677 compare
- 17 South Sudan 514,794 compare
More population data for Kenya
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0288 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0288 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1094 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 85,212 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.9 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7363 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.038 (2100)
- Population density 183.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.40 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Kenya?
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in Kenya was 604,257 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 604,257 in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 930 in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Kenya ranks 14th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of asylum rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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
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