Africa Western and Central's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin was 8.36 million in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 151.94% from 3.32 million in 2015 (9.68% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 8.36 million | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 6.87 million | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 3.32 million | 2015 |
| Highest | 8.43 million | 2022 |
| Lowest | 553,800 | 2011 |
| Average since 2016 | 6.45 million | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 747,800 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Africa Western and Central's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin rose 2.2% on 2024 (from 8.18 million to 8.36 million).
Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2024), the average change was +51.8% and a typical year strayed about 174.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 675.6% in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 56.1% in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 653,468 a year. A straight line explains 88% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Africa Western and Central | 8.36 million | 2025 |
| World | 68.6 million | 2025 |
What this measures
Internally displaced people (IDPs) are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of, or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, and violations of human rights, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.
Limitations: Collecting accurate data on internally displaced people (IDPs) is challenging in conflict zones and areas with limited access, leading to potential underreporting or incomplete coverage. Repeated displacements and the complex dynamics of internal conflicts can result in double counting or misclassification of IDPs. Additionally, differing definitions of IDPs across countries and regions can hinder the comparability and reliability of the data, complicating international efforts to address internal displacement.
All 17 values
| Year | Internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,363,900 |
| 2024 | 8,180,100 |
| 2023 | 8,146,700 |
| 2022 | 8,429,500 |
| 2021 | 7,805,600 |
| 2020 | 6,871,400 |
| 2019 | 5,736,400 |
| 2018 | 4,403,500 |
| 2017 | 3,406,900 |
| 2016 | 3,177,200 |
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — 4.36 million (2025)
- Iraq — 997,000 (2025)
- Lebanon — 64,000 (2025)
- Libya — 85,000 (2025)
- Pakistan — 269,000 (2025)
- Syrian Arab Republic — 5.96 million (2025)
- West Bank and Gaza — 2.04 million (2025)
- Yemen, Rep. — 4.8 million (2025)
More social protection & labor data for Africa Western and Central
- Net migration — -338,771 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 3.36 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 2.47 million (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 49.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 54.47% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 52.22% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Africa Western and Central's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin?
- 8.36 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2009?
- It is up 1,018% from 747,800 in 2009 (16.29% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 8.43 million in 2022 and the lowest 553,800 in 2011.
- Is the latest change in internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin unusual for Africa Western and Central?
- In 2025, Africa Western and Central's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin rose 2.2% on 2024 (from 8.18 million to 8.36 million). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2024), the average change was +51.8% and a typical year strayed about 174.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.IDPC, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download; Global Internal Displacement Database, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), uri: https://www.internal-displacement.org/database/displacement-data/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in