Forcibly displaced people in South Korea
South Korea: Forcibly displaced people was 43,513 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in South Korea, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, forcibly displaced people in South Korea stood at 43,513. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.6% on the previous year and up 532.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in South Korea peaked at 43,513 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,046, in 2010.
That places South Korea 102nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,046 | — |
| 2011 | 1,548 | +48.0% |
| 2012 | 2,014 | +30.1% |
| 2013 | 2,935 | +45.7% |
| 2014 | 4,634 | +57.9% |
| 2015 | 6,881 | +48.5% |
| 2016 | 8,633 | +25.5% |
| 2017 | 11,797 | +36.7% |
| 2018 | 22,717 | +92.6% |
| 2019 | 28,758 | +26.6% |
| 2020 | 23,516 | -18.2% |
| 2021 | 15,705 | -33.2% |
| 2022 | 19,777 | +25.9% |
| 2023 | 30,791 | +55.7% |
| 2024 | 40,084 | +30.2% |
| 2025 | 43,513 | +8.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 43,513 is below the median for high income countries, which is 51,316, 85% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 43,513 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6,732, 6.5× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9,096 | 1,046 | 28,758 | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,898 | 15,705 | 43,513 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More social development data for South Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,407 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (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 117 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in South Korea?
- Forcibly displaced people in South Korea was 43,513 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 43,513 in 2025.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,046 in 2010.
- How does South Korea rank for forcibly displaced people?
- South Korea ranks 102nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 532.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.