September 5, 2025 (Mombasa, Kenya): The IGAD Secretariat, in collaboration with member States, and partners; IOM, Statistics Sweden, and GIZ, on 4th September, 2025, launched the Second Edition of the IGAD Population and Migration Statistics Report, an updated analysis of demographic, migration, and displacement dynamics in the IGAD region, covering the period 2010–2022.
IGAD Member States: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, serve as origin, transit, and destination points for a wide range of migrants, including labour migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and stateless populations.
The report highlights that by the end of 2022, the IGAD region hosted 4.3 million refugees, equivalent to one in every six globally, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, and Sudan. Refugee returnees increased sharply, from 24,000 in 2013 to 166,000 in 2022, with a peak of 274,000 in 2021, reflecting changing security conditions and repatriation efforts.
Through partnerships with the African Union, UN agencies, European institutions, and others, IGAD has advanced data availability and accessibility. A key milestone was creating the national and regional Technical Working Group on Migration and Displacement Statistics, which improves data quality, harmonises methods, and strengthens regional cooperation.
The report sheds light on IGAD’s fast-growing, youthful population, rising cross-border mobility, and the interplay of forced displacement, labour migration, and remittances. The population grew from 207.5 million in 2010 to 283.5 million in 2022, with persistent gender gaps in labour force participation (76.3% for men vs. 62.4% for women). Migration also surged, with 6.8 million international migrants in 2022, a 66% rise in a decade, while refugees increased from 1.6 million in 2013 to 4.3 million in 2022. Remittances reached US$12.3 billion in 2022, led by Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
The report frames migration and displacement as both a humanitarian concern and a development opportunity, requiring reliable data, inclusive policies, and strong institutions.
At the launch, the IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary, H.E. Mohamed Abdi Ware, stressed that “well-governed migration, underpinned by sound evidence, drives development, stability, and integration, while poor governance fuels vulnerability and exploitation.”
IGAD Member States and partners reaffirmed their commitment to high-quality data for policies that protect migrants’ rights and promote inclusive growth.
