Bangladesh vs Pakistan: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of

Bangladesh
1.18 million
in 2025
Pakistan
1.16 million
in 2025
Bangladesh rank
5th
Pakistan rank
6th

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of over time

  • Bangladesh
  • Pakistan
01.0M2.0M3.0M197820012025

How they compare

Bangladesh currently reports 1.18 million against 1.16 million in Pakistan, a difference of 19,000.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 37 shared years of data; in 1979 it was Pakistan ahead.

Bangladesh ranks 5th and Pakistan ranks 6th of 179 countries.

Pakistan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bangladesh Pakistan Difference Ahead
1970s 0 400,000 400,000 Pakistan
1990s 74,863 1.65 million 1.58 million Pakistan
2000s 43,801 1.55 million 1.51 million Pakistan
2010s 435,502 1.55 million 1.11 million Pakistan
2020s 982,242 1.56 million 581,348 Pakistan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of, Bangladesh or Pakistan?
Bangladesh, at 1.18 million against 1.16 million in Pakistan as of 2025.
What is the difference in refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of between Bangladesh and Pakistan?
19,000, with Bangladesh ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bangladesh and Pakistan?
37 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
How do Bangladesh and Pakistan rank globally for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Bangladesh ranks 5th and Pakistan ranks 6th of 179 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bangladesh vs Pakistan: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of. Statizoid, drawing on Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-asylum/bangladesh/pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
226 places, 10,431 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.