Kenya: Refugee population

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Kenya

Refugee population

 Latest value 538,899
 Year 2023
 Measure refugees
 Data availability 1970 - 2023
 Average 219,949
 Min - Max 930 - 566,482
 Source United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
 Available for Data download
The latest value from 2023 is 538899 refugees, an increase from 504473 refugees in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 233913 refugees, based on data from 159 countries. Historically, the average for Kenya from 1970 to 2023 is 219949 refugees. The minimum value, 930 refugees, was reached in 1970 while the maximum of 566482 refugees was recorded in 2011. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
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 Recent values Kenya: Refugee population
 2023 538,899
 2022 504,473
 2021 481,048
 2020 452,916
 2019 438,899
 2018 421,243
 2017 431,895
 2016 451,097




Definition: 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.

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 Related indicators Latest Reference Measure
 Population size 57.53 2025 million
 Percent urban population 32.21 2025 percent
 Population density 95 2023 people per square km
 Population ages 65 and above 3.02 2025 percent
 Percent children 36.26 2025 percent
 Percent female population 50.29 2025 percent
 Rural population, percent 67.79 2025 percent
 Age dependency ratio 64.69 2025 percent
 Refugee population 538,899 2023 refugees
 Migrant population 2 2024 percent
 Population growth 1.93 2025 percent
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