Eritrea: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Eritrea's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin rose 6% on 2024 (from 111,762 to 118,444).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +50.3% and a typical year strayed about 166% 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 806.5% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 89% in 2003. 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 5,135 a year. A straight line explains 72% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 123,605 for 2028. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2023 to 2025 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 12,326, against 32,689 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2025, Eritrea had the 18th highest value of the 190 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Eritrea in the 2025 ranking

• Guatemala — 15th of 190: 138,420
• South Sudan — 16th of 190: 123,984
• Ecuador — 17th of 190: 122,060
• Türkiye — 19th of 190: 117,576
• Peru — 20th of 190: 113,900
• El Salvador — 21st of 190: 108,289

What this measures

Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.

Limitations: Variability in national asylum procedures and processing times can lead to inconsistencies in data reporting, affecting the accuracy of cross-country comparisons. Unregistered asylum claims or informal border crossings may result in incomplete data, underestimating the true scope of the need for protection. Additionally, the changing status of individuals, such as those asylum-seekers that are recognized as refugees, complicates the tracking and categorization of data.

All 26 values

Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in nearby economies

• Angola — 16,983 (2025)
• Benin — 3,407 (2025)
• Botswana — 789 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 69,817 (2025)
• Burundi — 64,899 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 79 (2025)
• Cameroon — 37,991 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 82,600 (2025)
• Chad — 17,111 (2025)
• Comoros

More social protection & labor data for Eritrea

• Net migration — -6,698 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 554,891 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 65.34% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 71.62% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 68.5% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 76.19% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 85.78% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Eritrea's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin?

118,444 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 4,529% from 2,559 in 2000 (16.58% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 118,444 in 2025 and the lowest 2,559 in 2000.

How does Eritrea rank?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EO, 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 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.

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