Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia
Zambia: Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled was 79,275 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia, 1965–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 79,275 people for refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.5% on the previous year and up 210.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia peaked at 284,173 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5,000 people, in 1965.
That places Zambia 56th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 5,000 people | — |
| 1966 | 6,290 people | +25.8% |
| 1967 | 10,710 people | +70.3% |
| 1968 | 13,190 people | +23.2% |
| 1969 | 12,640 people | -4.2% |
| 1970 | 16,000 people | +26.6% |
| 1971 | 17,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 25,000 people | +47.1% |
| 1973 | 37,310 people | +49.2% |
| 1974 | 40,430 people | +8.4% |
| 1975 | 36,050 people | -10.8% |
| 1976 | 34,070 people | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 64,900 people | +90.5% |
| 1978 | 79,140 people | +21.9% |
| 1979 | 57,790 people | -27.0% |
| 1980 | 36,410 people | -37.0% |
| 1981 | 40,560 people | +11.4% |
| 1982 | 89,110 people | +119.7% |
| 1983 | 103,000 people | +15.6% |
| 1984 | 96,480 people | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 103,780 people | +7.6% |
| 1986 | 138,270 people | +33.2% |
| 1987 | 144,100 people | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 143,568 people | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 137,180 people | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 138,049 people | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 140,676 people | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 142,104 people | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 141,126 people | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 141,126 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 129,965 people | -7.9% |
| 1996 | 131,139 people | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 165,072 people | +25.9% |
| 1998 | 168,564 people | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 206,386 people | +22.4% |
| 2000 | 250,940 people | +21.6% |
| 2001 | 284,173 people | +13.2% |
| 2002 | 246,765 people | -13.2% |
| 2003 | 226,697 people | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 173,907 people | -23.3% |
| 2005 | 155,718 people | -10.5% |
| 2006 | 120,253 people | -22.8% |
| 2007 | 112,931 people | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 83,484 people | -26.1% |
| 2009 | 56,786 people | -32.0% |
| 2010 | 47,853 people | -15.7% |
| 2011 | 45,627 people | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 25,647 people | -43.8% |
| 2013 | 23,584 people | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 25,566 people | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 26,434 people | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 29,338 people | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 41,266 people | +40.7% |
| 2018 | 49,877 people | +20.9% |
| 2019 | 57,518 people | +15.3% |
| 2020 | 66,070 people | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 75,154 people | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 61,159 people | -18.6% |
| 2023 | 72,411 people | +18.4% |
| 2024 | 79,275 people | +9.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 79,275 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,240 people, 8.6× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 79,275 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25,275 people, 3.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +119.7% | 40,560 people | 89,110 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9,566 people | 5,000 people | 13,190 people | 5 |
| 1970s | 40,769 people | 16,000 people | 79,140 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 103,246 people | 36,410 people | 144,100 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 150,421 people | 129,965 people | 206,386 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 171,165 people | 56,786 people | 284,173 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 37,271 people | 23,584 people | 57,518 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 70,814 people | 61,159 people | 79,275 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0941 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia?
- Refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled in Zambia was 79,275 people in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 284,173 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,000 people in 1965.
- How does Zambia rank for refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled?
- Zambia ranks 56th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum, gaps filled rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 210.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
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
- Refugees by country of asylum UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
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
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.