Afghanistan vs Syrian Arab Republic: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of over time
- Afghanistan
- Syrian Arab Republic
How they compare
Syrian Arab Republic currently reports 4.87 million against 2.67 million in Afghanistan, a difference of 2.19 million.
That makes Syrian Arab Republic'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 Syrian Arab Republic ranks 2nd of 199 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 4 and Syrian Arab Republic in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Syrian Arab Republic | 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 | Syrian Arab Republic |
| 2020s | 4.30 million | 6.21 million | 1.91 million | Syrian Arab Republic |
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 Syrian Arab Republic?
- Syrian Arab Republic, 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 Syrian Arab Republic?
- 2.19 million, with Syrian Arab Republic ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Syrian Arab Republic?
- 47 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2025.
- How do Afghanistan and Syrian Arab Republic rank globally for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Afghanistan ranks 4th and Syrian Arab Republic ranks 2nd of 199 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 origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.