Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi

Malawi: Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled was 35,510 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
35,510 people
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
71st
of 183 countries
All-time high
1.06 million people
in 1992
All-time low
278 people
in 1997
Years of data
39
1986–2024

Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi, 1986–2024

0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1986200520241986: 100.0k people1987: 401.6k people1988: 628.1k people1989: 822.5k people1990: 926.7k people1991: 981.8k people1992: 1.1M people1993: 713.6k people1994: 90.2k people1995: 1.0k people1996: 1.3k people1997: 278 people1998: 1.2k people1999: 1.7k people2000: 3.9k people2001: 6.2k people2002: 2.2k people2003: 3.2k people2004: 3.7k people2005: 4.2k people2006: 3.9k people2007: 2.9k people2008: 4.2k people2009: 5.4k people2010: 5.7k people2011: 6.3k people2012: 6.5k people2013: 5.8k people2014: 5.9k people2015: 9.0k people2016: 9.4k people2017: 9.0k people2018: 13.8k people2019: 14.1k people2020: 14.9k people2021: 21.5k people2022: 35.2k people2023: 35.2k people2024: 35.5k people

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2024, refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi stood at 35,510 people.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 504.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi peaked at 1.06 million people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 278 people, in 1997.

Malawi ranks 71st of 183 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi, 1986 to 2024.
Year people Change
1986 100,000 people —
1987 401,640 people +301.6%
1988 628,133 people +56.4%
1989 822,503 people +30.9%
1990 926,725 people +12.7%
1991 981,812 people +5.9%
1992 1.06 million people +7.8%
1993 713,605 people -32.6%
1994 90,242 people -87.4%
1995 1,018 people -98.9%
1996 1,267 people +24.5%
1997 278 people -78.1%
1998 1,241 people +346.4%
1999 1,692 people +36.3%
2000 3,900 people +130.5%
2001 6,200 people +59.0%
2002 2,170 people -65.0%
2003 3,208 people +47.8%
2004 3,682 people +14.8%
2005 4,241 people +15.2%
2006 3,943 people -7.0%
2007 2,927 people -25.8%
2008 4,174 people +42.6%
2009 5,436 people +30.2%
2010 5,738 people +5.6%
2011 6,306 people +9.9%
2012 6,546 people +3.8%
2013 5,794 people -11.5%
2014 5,871 people +1.3%
2015 9,018 people +53.6%
2016 9,386 people +4.1%
2017 8,977 people -4.4%
2018 13,783 people +53.5%
2019 14,087 people +2.2%
2020 14,892 people +5.7%
2021 21,529 people +44.6%
2022 35,162 people +63.3%
2023 35,201 people +0.1%
2024 35,510 people +0.9%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 35,510 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 42,512 people, 84% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 35,510 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25,275 people, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi 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
1998 +346.4% 278 people 1,241 people
1987 +301.6% 100,000 people 401,640 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 488,069 people 100,000 people 822,503 people 4
1990s 377,638 people 278 people 1.06 million people 10
2000s 3,988 people 2,170 people 6,200 people 10
2010s 8,551 people 5,738 people 14,087 people 10
2020s 28,459 people 14,892 people 35,510 people 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 68 Belarus 43,397 people compare
  2. 69 Estonia 42,267 people compare
  3. 70 Burkina Faso 39,915 people compare
  4. 72 Costa Rica 31,632 people compare
  5. 73 Georgia 31,027 people compare
  6. 74 Australia 29,511 people compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi?
Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Malawi was 35,510 people in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 1.06 million people in 1992.
What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 278 people in 1997.
How does Malawi rank for refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled?
Malawi ranks 71st out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
Is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 504.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi 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 Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-by-country-of-asylum-gaps-filled/malawi/

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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.