Refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Refugees by country of asylum was 1.01 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia, 1968–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia stood at 1.01 million people. That is the highest value across all 57 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 53.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia peaked at 1.01 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5,400 people, in 1973.
That places Ethiopia 8th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 20,000 people | — |
| 1969 | 20,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 21,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 22,730 people | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 16,200 people | -28.7% |
| 1973 | 5,400 people | -66.7% |
| 1974 | 5,910 people | +9.4% |
| 1975 | 11,150 people | +88.7% |
| 1976 | 10,690 people | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 10,940 people | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 10,930 people | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 10,930 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 10,930 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5,450 people | -50.1% |
| 1982 | 5,550 people | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 31,370 people | +465.2% |
| 1984 | 180,480 people | +475.3% |
| 1985 | 180,400 people | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 132,400 people | -26.6% |
| 1987 | 310,500 people | +134.5% |
| 1988 | 679,532 people | +118.9% |
| 1989 | 710,166 people | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 773,764 people | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 529,620 people | -31.6% |
| 1992 | 431,824 people | -18.5% |
| 1993 | 272,632 people | -36.9% |
| 1994 | 348,074 people | +27.7% |
| 1995 | 393,479 people | +13.0% |
| 1996 | 390,528 people | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 323,064 people | -17.3% |
| 1998 | 262,158 people | -18.9% |
| 1999 | 257,683 people | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 197,960 people | -23.2% |
| 2001 | 152,554 people | -22.9% |
| 2002 | 132,939 people | -12.9% |
| 2003 | 130,274 people | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 115,979 people | -11.0% |
| 2005 | 100,813 people | -13.1% |
| 2006 | 96,975 people | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 85,179 people | -12.2% |
| 2008 | 83,573 people | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 121,880 people | +45.8% |
| 2010 | 154,288 people | +26.6% |
| 2011 | 288,839 people | +87.2% |
| 2012 | 376,388 people | +30.3% |
| 2013 | 433,933 people | +15.3% |
| 2014 | 659,520 people | +52.0% |
| 2015 | 736,081 people | +11.6% |
| 2016 | 791,631 people | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 889,412 people | +12.4% |
| 2018 | 903,226 people | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 733,123 people | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 800,454 people | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 821,283 people | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 879,598 people | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 979,846 people | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 1.01 million people | +3.0% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 1.01 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 42,512 people, 23.7× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 1.01 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25,275 people, 39.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +475.3% | 31,370 people | 180,480 people |
| 1983 | +465.2% | 5,550 people | 31,370 people |
| 1987 | +134.5% | 132,400 people | 310,500 people |
| 1988 | +118.9% | 310,500 people | 679,532 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,000 people | 20,000 people | 20,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 12,588 people | 5,400 people | 22,730 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 224,678 people | 5,450 people | 710,166 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 398,283 people | 257,683 people | 773,764 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 121,813 people | 83,573 people | 197,960 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 596,644 people | 154,288 people | 903,226 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 898,002 people | 800,454 people | 1.01 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6564 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 100.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.79 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.47 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Ethiopia was 1.01 million people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,400 people in 1973.
- How does Ethiopia rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Ethiopia ranks 8th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.