Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor
East Timor: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin was 1,520 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor, 2000–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor stood at 1,520. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 30,300.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor peaked at 1,520 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2004.
East Timor ranks 101st of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19 | — |
| 2001 | 20 | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 513 | +2465.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | -99.0% |
| 2004 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 8 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 6 | — |
| 2013 | 10 | +66.7% |
| 2014 | 7 | -30.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | -28.6% |
| 2016 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | — |
| 2018 | 10 | +100.0% |
| 2019 | 41 | +310.0% |
| 2020 | 324 | +690.2% |
| 2021 | 368 | +13.6% |
| 2022 | 690 | +87.5% |
| 2023 | 1,085 | +57.2% |
| 2024 | 1,453 | +33.9% |
| 2025 | 1,520 | +4.6% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 1,520 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8,798, 17% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 1,520 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 562.5, 2.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +2465.0% | 20 | 513 |
| 2020 | +690.2% | 41 | 324 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56.5 | 0 | 513 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4 | 0 | 41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 906.67 | 324 | 1,520 | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More social development data for East Timor
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor?
- Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in East Timor was 1,520 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 1,520 in 2025.
- What is the lowest asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2004.
- How does East Timor rank for asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin?
- East Timor ranks 101st out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30,300.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.