Nigeria: Refugee population

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Nigeria

Refugee population

 Latest value 69,940
 Year 2023
 Measure refugees
 Data availability 1976 - 2023
 Average 16,634
 Min - Max 50 - 100,000
 Source United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
 Available for Data download
The latest value from 2023 is 69940 refugees, a decline from 91275 refugees in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 233913 refugees, based on data from 159 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1976 to 2023 is 16634 refugees. The minimum value, 50 refugees, was reached in 1976 while the maximum of 100000 refugees was recorded in 1980. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
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 Recent values Nigeria: Refugee population
 2023 69,940
 2022 91,275
 2021 77,132
 2020 66,056
 2019 54,157
 2018 34,727
 2017 1,910
 2016 1,357




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 237.53 2025 million
 Percent urban population 63.78 2025 percent
 Population density 250 2023 people per square km
 Population ages 65 and above 3.07 2025 percent
 Percent children 40.52 2025 percent
 Percent female population 49.40 2025 percent
 Rural population, percent 36.22 2025 percent
 Age dependency ratio 77.27 2025 percent
 Refugee population 69,940 2023 refugees
 Migrant population 1 2024 percent
 Population growth 2.06 2025 percent
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