Refugee Statistics 1990-2025

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.
  • refugee statistics for 2023 was 18,282,288.00, a 2.13% increase from 2022.
  • refugee statistics for 2022 was 17,901,200.00, a 19.22% increase from 2021.
  • refugee statistics for 2021 was 15,014,724.00, a 1.56% increase from 2020.
  • refugee statistics for 2020 was 14,783,928.00, a 0.1% decline from 2019.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Refugees Granted Asylum
Refugee Statistics - Historical Data
Year Refugees Granted Asylum Annual % Change
2023 18,282,288.00 2.13%
2022 17,901,200.00 19.22%
2021 15,014,724.00 1.56%
2020 14,783,928.00 -0.10%
2019 14,799,055.00 -1.53%
2018 15,028,283.00 1.75%
2017 14,770,213.00 10.99%
2016 13,307,587.00 2.17%
2015 13,024,365.00 9.11%
2014 11,936,839.00 13.06%
2013 10,557,676.00 6.49%
2012 9,914,450.00 -0.18%
2011 9,932,364.00 -3.58%
2010 10,301,334.00 0.93%
2009 10,205,926.00 0.79%
2008 10,125,840.00 -6.03%
2007 10,775,920.00 28.48%
2006 8,386,958.00 16.50%
2005 7,199,115.00 -3.48%
2004 7,458,626.00 4.36%
2003 7,147,048.00 -4.76%
2002 7,504,584.00 -15.86%
2001 8,918,714.00 5.69%
2000 8,438,167.00 12.08%
1999 7,528,687.00 2.23%
1998 7,364,542.00 -0.83%
1997 7,426,336.00 -1.47%
1996 7,536,895.00 -1.01%
1995 7,613,559.00 0.02%
1994 7,612,027.00 -12.99%
1993 8,748,246.00 -18.22%
1992 10,697,352.00 -11.06%
1991 12,026,944.00 -0.44%
1990 12,079,990.00 -0.44%