Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square was 9.82 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan, 1979–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan is 9.82 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.1% on the previous year and up 150.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan peaked at 9.82 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.7666 units per square kilometre, in 1979.
That places Afghanistan 5th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.7666 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1980 | 2.66 units per square kilometre | +247.0% |
| 1981 | 5.95 units per square kilometre | +123.6% |
| 1982 | 6.88 units per square kilometre | +15.7% |
| 1983 | 7.23 units per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 6.77 units per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 7.13 units per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 7.81 units per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1987 | 8.45 units per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1988 | 8.62 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 8.65 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 9.72 units per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 1991 | 9.67 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 6.98 units per square kilometre | -27.8% |
| 1993 | 5.17 units per square kilometre | -25.9% |
| 1994 | 4.19 units per square kilometre | -19.1% |
| 1995 | 4.11 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 4.1 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 4.1 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 4.09 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 3.99 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 5.5 units per square kilometre | +37.9% |
| 2001 | 5.84 units per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 3.85 units per square kilometre | -34.1% |
| 2003 | 3.27 units per square kilometre | -14.9% |
| 2004 | 3.7 units per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2005 | 3.32 units per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 2006 | 3.23 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 4.69 units per square kilometre | +45.1% |
| 2008 | 4.34 units per square kilometre | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 4.43 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 4.68 units per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 4.09 units per square kilometre | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 3.97 units per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 3.92 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 3.98 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 4.09 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 3.84 units per square kilometre | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 4.02 units per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 4.11 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 4.18 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.98 units per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 4.16 units per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 8.68 units per square kilometre | +108.7% |
| 2023 | 9.82 units per square kilometre | +13.1% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 9.82 units per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.2005 units per square kilometre, 49.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 9.82 units per square kilometre is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.0448 units per square kilometre, 219.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square 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% | 0.7666 units per square kilometre | 2.66 units per square kilometre |
| 1981 | +123.6% | 2.66 units per square kilometre | 5.95 units per square kilometre |
| 2022 | +108.7% | 4.16 units per square kilometre | 8.68 units per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7666 units per square kilometre | 0.7666 units per square kilometre | 0.7666 units per square kilometre | 1 |
| 1980s | 7.02 units per square kilometre | 2.66 units per square kilometre | 8.65 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.61 units per square kilometre | 3.99 units per square kilometre | 9.72 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.22 units per square kilometre | 3.23 units per square kilometre | 5.84 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.09 units per square kilometre | 3.84 units per square kilometre | 4.68 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.66 units per square kilometre | 3.98 units per square kilometre | 9.82 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 2 Burundi 12.46 units per square kilometre compare
- 3 Ukraine 10.29 units per square kilometre compare
- 4 Rwanda 10.13 units per square kilometre compare
- 6 Palestine 6.82 units per square kilometre compare
- 7 Eritrea 4.62 units per square kilometre compare
- 8 Haiti 4.43 units per square kilometre compare
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, per square in Afghanistan?
- Refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square in Afghanistan was 9.82 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 9.82 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7666 units per square kilometre in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square?
- Afghanistan ranks 5th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of origin, per square rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 150.5%. 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, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 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 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Refugee population by country or territory of origin ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Refugees by country of origin UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.