South Africa Refugee Statistics 1960-2024

Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.
  • South Africa refugee statistics for 2022 was 66,596.00, a 11.81% decline from 2021.
  • South Africa refugee statistics for 2021 was 75,512.00, a 1.59% decline from 2020.
  • South Africa refugee statistics for 2020 was 76,729.00, a 2.13% decline from 2019.
  • South Africa refugee statistics for 2019 was 78,395.00, a 12.2% decline from 2018.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Refugees Granted Asylum
Turkey 3,568,259.00
Iran 3,425,091.00
Jordan 3,062,851.00
Lebanon 1,306,143.00
Russia 1,277,672.00
Iraq 273,716.00
Bulgaria 176,297.00
Malaysia 134,554.00
Romania 105,621.00
Algeria 99,107.00
Mexico 95,579.00
Thailand 94,472.00
Brazil 67,522.00
South Africa 66,596.00
Ecuador 60,125.00
Armenia 34,634.00
Montenegro 32,438.00
Venezuela 29,341.00
Serbia 26,521.00
Belarus 19,715.00
Costa Rica 14,088.00
Peru 6,543.00
Azerbaijan 6,414.00
Paraguay 5,420.00
Namibia 4,685.00
Albania 2,676.00
Libya 2,208.00
Colombia 1,607.00
Botswana 733.00
Guatemala 701.00
North Macedonia 635.00
Dominican Republic 546.00
China 320.00
Kazakhstan 308.00
Bosnia 274.00
Gabon 205.00
Cuba 174.00
Belize 145.00
Nauru 45.00
Jamaica 31.00
Suriname 25.00
Turkmenistan 14.00
Guyana 12.00
Fiji 5.00
Maldives 0.00
St. Lucia 0.00
Dominica 0.00
Samoa 0.00
Grenada 0.00
Mauritius 0.00
Equatorial Guinea 0.00
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 0.00
Tuvalu 0.00
American Samoa 0.00
Marshall Islands 0.00
Tonga 0.00
South Africa Refugee Statistics - Historical Data
Year Refugees Granted Asylum Annual % Change
2022 66,596.00 -11.81%
2021 75,512.00 -1.59%
2020 76,729.00 -2.13%
2019 78,395.00 -12.20%
2018 89,285.00 0.67%
2017 88,694.00 -2.55%
2016 91,018.00 -25.17%
2015 121,635.00 8.43%
2014 112,182.00 70.03%
2013 65,976.00 1.15%
2012 65,225.00 12.65%
2011 57,899.00 0.00%
2010 57,899.00 20.69%
2009 47,972.00 10.17%
2008 43,542.00 18.54%
2007 36,732.00 4.69%
2006 35,086.00 18.07%
2005 29,716.00 7.37%
2004 27,675.00 4.23%
2003 26,552.00 13.78%
2002 23,336.00 25.50%
2001 18,594.00 23.48%
2000 15,058.00 3.57%
1999 14,539.00 73.35%
1998 8,387.00 23.05%
1997 6,816.00 -69.90%
1996 22,645.00 -77.67%
1995 101,408.00 10.35%
1994 91,894.00 -63.24%
1993 250,000.00 inf%
1992 0.00 nan%
1991 0.00 nan%
1990 0.00 nan%
1989 0.00 nan%
1988 0.00 nan%
1987 0.00 nan%
1986 0.00 nan%
1985 0.00 nan%
1984 0.00 nan%
1983 0.00 nan%
1982 0.00 nan%
1981 0.00 nan%
1980 0.00 nan%
1979 0.00 nan%
1978 0.00 nan%
1977 0.00 nan%
1976 0.00 nan%
1975 0.00 nan%
1974 0.00 nan%
1973 0.00 nan%
1972 0.00 nan%
1971 0.00 nan%
1970 0.00 nan%
1969 0.00 nan%
1968 0.00 nan%
1967 0.00 nan%
1966 0.00 nan%
1965 0.00 nan%
1964 0.00 nan%
1963 0.00 nan%
1962 0.00 nan%
1961 0.00 nan%
1960 0.00 nan%