Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya
Kenya: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled was 604,257 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya is 604,257, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is 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, gaps filled in Kenya peaked at 604,257 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 930, in 1970.
Kenya ranks 14th of 183 countries on this measure, 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, gaps filled 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 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 517,404 compare
- 16 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 183.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.40 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya?
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya was 604,257 in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 604,257 in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 930 in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled?
- Kenya ranks 14th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum with 169 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees by country of asylum UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum with 169 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.