Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled was 5.77 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan, 1979–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan is 5.77 million, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 9.9% on the previous year and up 122.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan peaked at 6.40 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 500,000, in 1979.
Afghanistan ranks 2nd of 204 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 500,000 | — |
| 1980 | 1.73 million | +247.0% |
| 1981 | 3.88 million | +123.6% |
| 1982 | 4.49 million | +15.7% |
| 1983 | 4.71 million | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 4.42 million | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 4.65 million | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 5.09 million | +9.5% |
| 1987 | 5.51 million | +8.2% |
| 1988 | 5.62 million | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 5.64 million | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 6.34 million | +12.3% |
| 1991 | 6.31 million | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 4.55 million | -27.8% |
| 1993 | 3.37 million | -25.9% |
| 1994 | 2.73 million | -19.1% |
| 1995 | 2.68 million | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 2.67 million | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 2.68 million | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 2.67 million | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 2.60 million | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 3.59 million | +37.9% |
| 2001 | 3.81 million | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 2.51 million | -34.1% |
| 2003 | 2.14 million | -14.9% |
| 2004 | 2.41 million | +13.0% |
| 2005 | 2.17 million | -10.3% |
| 2006 | 2.11 million | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 3.06 million | +45.1% |
| 2008 | 2.83 million | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 2.89 million | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 3.05 million | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 2.66 million | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 2.59 million | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 2.56 million | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.60 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.67 million | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 2.50 million | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 2.62 million | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 2.68 million | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 2.73 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 2.59 million | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 2.71 million | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 5.66 million | +108.7% |
| 2023 | 6.40 million | +13.1% |
| 2024 | 5.77 million | -9.9% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 5.77 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 150,081, 38.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 5.77 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 8,800, 655.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +247.0% | 500,000 | 1.73 million |
| 1981 | +123.6% | 1.73 million | 3.88 million |
| 2022 | +108.7% | 2.71 million | 5.66 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 500,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 | 1 |
| 1980s | 4.58 million | 1.73 million | 5.64 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.66 million | 2.60 million | 6.34 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.75 million | 2.11 million | 3.81 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.67 million | 2.50 million | 3.05 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.63 million | 2.59 million | 6.40 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More population data for Afghanistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2412 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2115 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 74,075 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2522 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 199.65 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 9.03 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan?
- Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Afghanistan was 5.77 million in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 6.40 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 500,000 in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled?
- Afghanistan ranks 2nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 122.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugee population by country or territory of origin, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 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 origin with 133 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 origin 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 origin with 133 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.