History1 min read
Population and demography
Also known as Dzaleka population, Camp population
A dated guide to population figures for Dzaleka and Malawi's refugee population, including countries of origin and why totals vary between reports.
A population that changes
Dzaleka’s population has grown substantially since the camp opened in 1994. New arrivals, births, voluntary returns, resettlement departures, registration exercises, and government relocation policies all affect reported totals.
UNHCR’s August 2024 fact sheet reported 55,425 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Malawi and said the majority lived in Dzaleka. The same report listed 35,952 people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 12,113 from Burundi, and 6,960 from Rwanda, with smaller groups from Somalia, Ethiopia, and other countries.
UNHCR’s country overview, using end-of-December 2024 data, reported more than 52,000 people in Dzaleka and 56,779 forcibly displaced people in Malawi. These figures should not be treated as contradictory without checking their dates, categories, and geographic scope.
Historical growth
In 2007, after the closure of Luwani camp, Dzaleka grew from roughly 5,000 to more than 8,000 residents. United Nations Malawi reported 41,109 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in the camp in November 2019. By 2023 and 2024, official sources were consistently describing a population above 50,000.
Using these figures
Population data should be quoted with the reporting organisation, reference date, and whether the figure covers Dzaleka or all of Malawi. A live total should not be inferred from an older fact sheet.
Evidence
Data behind this entry
Each figure below is plotted only where a cited source reports it. Open the table under any chart to read the values and follow them back to the original report.
Camp population against planned capacity
Dzaleka Refugee Camp · measured in people
Dzaleka was planned for 10,000 to 12,000 people. Reported population has been several times that figure for years, which is the underlying cause of the housing, water, and sanitation pressures described across these entries.
How to read this: Points are plotted only where a cited source reports a figure, so the line is sparse and the segments between points are not measurements. The 1994 value is the midpoint of the planned capacity range, not a recorded population.
View the figures and their sources
| Period | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 11,000Site opened; planned for roughly 10,000 to 12,000 people. Plotted at the midpoint of that range. | UNHCR, End-December 2024 data |
| 2019 | More than 41,000UNHCR registered over 41,000 people in Dzaleka. | United Nations Malawi, 25 November 2019 |
| 2024 | More than 52,000More than 52,000 residents reported at the end of December 2024. | UNHCR, End-December 2024 data |
Sources
- Malawi country overview — UNHCR, End-December 2024 data
- UNHCR registers over 41,000 people in congested Dzaleka Refugee Camp — United Nations Malawi, 25 November 2019
Registered population by country of origin
Malawi (nationwide) · measured in people
Country-of-origin breakdown from the August 2024 UNHCR fact sheet. The majority of this population lives in Dzaleka.
How to read this: This is a Malawi-wide count of registered refugees and asylum-seekers (55,425 in August 2024), not a Dzaleka-only count. Do not compare it directly with the camp population figures without checking date and scope.
View the figures and their sources
| Period | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 35,952 | UNHCR, August 2024 |
| Burundi | 12,113 | UNHCR, August 2024 |
| Rwanda | 6,960 | UNHCR, August 2024 |
| Other | 400Smaller groups including Somalia and Ethiopia, derived from the reported total of 55,425. | UNHCR, August 2024 |
Sources
- Malawi Fact Sheet, August 2024 — UNHCR, August 2024
References
Sources
- 1Malawi Fact Sheet, August 2024
UNHCR, August 2024
- 2Malawi country overview
UNHCR, December 2024 data
- 3UNHCR registers over 41,000 people in congested Dzaleka Refugee Camp
United Nations Malawi, 25 November 2019
Related entries
Place
Dzaleka Refugee Camp
A long-established refugee settlement in Dowa District, Malawi, opened in 1994 and now home to a large, multilingual community from the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa.
History
History of Dzaleka
How Dzaleka developed from a camp opened in 1994 into Malawi's principal refugee settlement, including the consolidation of residents from Luwani and decades of population growth.
Infrastructure
Housing and overcrowding
Housing conditions in a settlement holding more than four times its planned population, where limited land affects shelter, drainage, sanitation, roads, and public space.
Health
2024 health, nutrition and population study
The Dzaleka component of the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey: how 720 selected households were sampled and what the resulting report can and cannot establish about the camp.
Infrastructure
Household conditions in the 2024 MDHS
Dzaleka survey findings on electricity, flooring, water, sanitation, household composition, birth registration, literacy, internet use and health insurance in 2024.
Education
Education in Dzaleka
Public, private, community, and post-secondary education in Dzaleka, including the Malawi curriculum and long-running scholarship and digital-learning programmes.
Infrastructure
Water and sanitation
A reference entry on water supply, latrines, handwashing, and waste management in Dzaleka, based on UNHCR's August 2024 reporting.
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