Afghanistan vs Syria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of

Afghanistan
2.67 million
in 2025
Syria
4.87 million
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
4th
Syria rank
2nd

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

  • Afghanistan
  • Syria
02.0M4.0M6.0M196819962025

How they compare

Syria currently reports 4.87 million against 2.67 million in Afghanistan, a difference of 2.19 million.

That makes Syria's figure about 1.8 times Afghanistan's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 47 shared years of data; in 1979 it was Afghanistan ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 4th and Syria ranks 2nd of 199 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 4 and Syria in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Afghanistan Syria Difference Ahead
1970s 500,000 500 499,500 Afghanistan
1980s 4.58 million 699.6 4.58 million Afghanistan
1990s 3.66 million 6,218 3.65 million Afghanistan
2000s 2.75 million 14,741 2.74 million Afghanistan
2010s 2.67 million 3.71 million 1.04 million Syria
2020s 4.30 million 6.21 million 1.91 million Syria

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, Afghanistan or Syria?
Syria, at 4.87 million against 2.67 million in Afghanistan as of 2025.
What is the difference in refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of between Afghanistan and Syria?
2.19 million, with Syria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Syria?
47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
How do Afghanistan and Syria rank globally for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Afghanistan ranks 4th and Syria ranks 2nd of 199 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs Syria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-gaps-filled/afghanistan/syrian-arab-republic/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
246 places, 10,260 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.