South Africa vs Zambia: Refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people
South Africa
1.83 people per 100,000 inhabitants
in 2024
Zambia
1.58 people per 100,000 inhabitants
in 2024
South Africa rank
160th
Zambia rank
161st
Refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.83 people per 100,000 inhabitants against 1.58 people per 100,000 inhabitants in Zambia, a difference of 0.25 people per 100,000 inhabitants.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Zambia's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1968 it was Zambia ahead.
South Africa ranks 160th and Zambia ranks 161st of 204 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.44 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 339.34 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 336.91 people per 100,000 inhabitants | Zambia |
| 1970s | 7.19 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 48.43 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 41.25 people per 100,000 inhabitants | Zambia |
| 1980s | 89.76 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 19.78 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 69.98 people per 100,000 inhabitants | South Africa |
| 1990s | 6.16 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 5.79 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 0.3682 people per 100,000 inhabitants | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.6391 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 1.15 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 0.5125 people per 100,000 inhabitants | Zambia |
| 2010s | 0.7753 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 1.62 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 0.8417 people per 100,000 inhabitants | Zambia |
| 2020s | 1.27 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 1.45 people per 100,000 inhabitants | 0.1726 people per 100,000 inhabitants | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa, at 1.83 people per 100,000 inhabitants against 1.58 people per 100,000 inhabitants in Zambia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0.25 people per 100,000 inhabitants, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people?
- South Africa ranks 160th and Zambia ranks 161st of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNHCR (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Refugees by country of origin per 100,000 people. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. This data is given per 100,000 people in their country of origin.