Refugees by country of asylum in Kenya
Kenya: Refugees by country of asylum was 604,257 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 604,257 people for refugees by country of asylum in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 12.1% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Kenya peaked at 604,257 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 930 people, in 1970.
Kenya ranks 14th of 183 countries on this measure, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 930 people | — |
| 1971 | 2,600 people | +179.6% |
| 1972 | 2,490 people | -4.2% |
| 1973 | 2,970 people | +19.3% |
| 1974 | 2,740 people | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 2,450 people | -10.6% |
| 1976 | 2,500 people | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 6,010 people | +140.4% |
| 1978 | 6,500 people | +8.2% |
| 1979 | 5,810 people | -10.6% |
| 1980 | 3,510 people | -39.6% |
| 1981 | 3,380 people | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 4,760 people | +40.8% |
| 1983 | 6,760 people | +42.0% |
| 1984 | 8,060 people | +19.2% |
| 1985 | 8,790 people | +9.1% |
| 1986 | 8,040 people | -8.5% |
| 1987 | 10,220 people | +27.1% |
| 1988 | 12,810 people | +25.3% |
| 1989 | 12,654 people | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 14,249 people | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 120,163 people | +743.3% |
| 1992 | 402,194 people | +234.7% |
| 1993 | 301,595 people | -25.0% |
| 1994 | 252,423 people | -16.3% |
| 1995 | 234,665 people | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 223,640 people | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 232,097 people | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 238,187 people | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 223,696 people | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 206,108 people | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 239,221 people | +16.1% |
| 2002 | 233,671 people | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 237,509 people | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 239,833 people | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 251,268 people | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 272,529 people | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 265,729 people | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 320,598 people | +20.6% |
| 2009 | 358,916 people | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 402,891 people | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 566,482 people | +40.6% |
| 2012 | 564,921 people | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 534,935 people | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 551,351 people | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 553,907 people | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 451,097 people | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 431,895 people | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 421,243 people | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 438,899 people | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 452,916 people | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 481,048 people | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 504,473 people | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 538,899 people | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 604,257 people | +12.1% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 604,257 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,240 people, 65.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 604,257 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25,275 people, 23.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +743.3% | 14,249 people | 120,163 people |
| 1992 | +234.7% | 120,163 people | 402,194 people |
| 1971 | +179.6% | 930 people | 2,600 people |
| 1977 | +140.4% | 2,500 people | 6,010 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3,500 people | 930 people | 6,500 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 7,898 people | 3,380 people | 12,810 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 224,291 people | 14,249 people | 402,194 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 262,538 people | 206,108 people | 358,916 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 491,762 people | 402,891 people | 566,482 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 516,319 people | 452,916 people | 604,257 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 11 Lebanon 758,642 people compare
- 12 France 721,771 people compare
- 13 Jordan 643,641 people compare
- 15 Democratic Republic of Congo 517,404 people compare
- 16 United Kingdom 515,677 people compare
- 17 South Sudan 514,794 people compare
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Kenya?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Kenya was 604,257 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 604,257 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 930 people in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Kenya ranks 14th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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 — 55 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.