Forcibly displaced people in China
China: Forcibly displaced people was 712 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in China, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in China is 712, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of down 12.5% on the previous year and down 99.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in China peaked at 322,405 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 712, in 2025.
That places China 149th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 301,104 | — |
| 2011 | 301,042 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 301,290 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 301,419 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 301,499 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 301,716 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 317,901 | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 322,405 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 322,341 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 304,023 | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 304,148 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 304,221 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1,105 | -99.6% |
| 2023 | 995 | -10.0% |
| 2024 | 814 | -18.2% |
| 2025 | 712 | -12.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 712 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61,510, 1% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- China's 712 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6,732, 11% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -99.6% | 304,221 | 1,105 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 307,474 | 301,042 | 322,405 | 10 |
| 2020s | 101,999 | 712 | 304,221 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More social development data for China
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 230 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 153,962 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 153,962 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in China?
- Forcibly displaced people in China was 712 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 322,405 in 2017.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 712 in 2025.
- How does China rank for forcibly displaced people?
- China ranks 149th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 99.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.