Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya

Kenya: Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled was 604,257 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
604,257 people
Change on year
up 12.1%
World rank
14th
of 183 countries
All-time high
604,257 people
in 2024
All-time low
930 people
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya, 1970–2024

0200.0k400.0k600.0k197019972024

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya is 604,257 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.1% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya peaked at 604,257 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 930 people, in 1970.

That places Kenya 14th 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, gaps filled in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya, 1970 to 2024.
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, gaps filled 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.

YearChange FromTo
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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 11 Lebanon 758,642 people compare
  2. 12 France 721,771 people compare
  3. 13 Jordan 643,641 people compare
  4. 15 Democratic Republic of Congo 517,404 people compare
  5. 16 United Kingdom 515,677 people compare
  6. 17 South Sudan 514,794 people compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya?
Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya was 604,257 people in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 604,257 people in 2024.
What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 930 people in 1970.
How does Kenya rank for refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled?
Kenya ranks 14th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
Is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-by-country-of-asylum-gaps-filled/kenya/

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How this figure is calculated

Refugees by country of asylum with 169 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

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

Indicator
Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled
Unit
people
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
183 places, 7,634 data points, 1951–2024
Last refreshed

Refugees by country of asylum with 169 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.