Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya

Kenya: Refugee population by country or territory of origin was 11,696 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
11,696
Change on year
up 46.1%
World rank
59th
of 202 countries
All-time high
11,696
in 2024
All-time low
7
in 1990
Years of data
39
1975–2024

Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya, 1975–2024

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k1975199920241975: 901977: 1.2k1978: 801979: 801990: 71991: 311992: 611993: 831994: 8.8k1995: 9.3k1996: 9.4k1997: 9.6k1998: 6.0k1999: 6.1k2000: 2.4k2001: 2.6k2002: 3.1k2003: 3.2k2004: 3.8k2005: 4.6k2006: 5.4k2007: 7.5k2008: 9.7k2009: 9.6k2010: 8.6k2011: 8.7k2012: 8.9k2013: 8.6k2014: 8.5k2015: 7.9k2016: 7.5k2017: 7.6k2018: 7.5k2019: 7.7k2020: 7.4k2021: 7.5k2022: 7.6k2023: 8.0k2024: 11.7k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya is 11,696, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

The figure is up 46.1% on the previous year and up 36.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya peaked at 11,696 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7, in 1990.

That places Kenya 59th out of 202 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya, 1975 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1975 90
1977 1,200 +1233.3%
1978 80 -93.3%
1979 80 +0.0%
1990 7 -91.2%
1991 31 +342.9%
1992 61 +96.8%
1993 83 +36.1%
1994 8,772 +10468.7%
1995 9,320 +6.2%
1996 9,390 +0.8%
1997 9,563 +1.8%
1998 6,037 -36.9%
1999 6,131 +1.6%
2000 2,367 -61.4%
2001 2,551 +7.8%
2002 3,089 +21.1%
2003 3,159 +2.3%
2004 3,842 +21.6%
2005 4,638 +20.7%
2006 5,356 +15.5%
2007 7,544 +40.9%
2008 9,682 +28.3%
2009 9,609 -0.8%
2010 8,585 -10.7%
2011 8,731 +1.7%
2012 8,946 +2.5%
2013 8,580 -4.1%
2014 8,546 -0.4%
2015 7,902 -7.5%
2016 7,526 -4.8%
2017 7,567 +0.5%
2018 7,480 -1.1%
2019 7,705 +3.0%
2020 7,422 -3.7%
2021 7,529 +1.4%
2022 7,595 +0.9%
2023 8,004 +5.4%
2024 11,696 +46.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 362.5 80 1,200 4
1990s 4,940 7 9,563 10
2000s 5,184 2,367 9,682 10
2010s 8,157 7,480 8,946 10
2020s 8,449 7,422 11,696 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 56 Senegal 12,947 compare
  2. 57 Togo 12,685 compare
  3. 58 Angola 12,545 compare
  4. 60 Cambodia 11,474 compare
  5. 61 Morocco 10,609 compare
  6. 62 Uganda 10,377 compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More population data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya?
Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya was 11,696 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of origin recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 11,696 in 2024.
What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of origin recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 7 in 1990.
How does Kenya rank for refugee population by country or territory of origin?
Kenya ranks 59th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
Is refugee population by country or territory of origin rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 36.9%. 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 origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Refugee population by country or territory of origin in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/refugee-population-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-2/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugee population by country or territory of origin
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
204 places, 7,190 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed