Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand
New Zealand: Forcibly displaced people was 6,732 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in New Zealand is 6,732, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is up 19.7% on the previous year and up 363.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in New Zealand peaked at 6,732 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,452, in 2015.
That places New Zealand 132nd 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,455 | — |
| 2011 | 2,117 | -13.8% |
| 2012 | 1,752 | -17.2% |
| 2013 | 1,679 | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 1,582 | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 1,452 | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 1,706 | +17.5% |
| 2017 | 1,856 | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 1,991 | +7.3% |
| 2019 | 2,267 | +13.9% |
| 2020 | 2,439 | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 2,505 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 2,364 | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 3,676 | +55.5% |
| 2024 | 5,622 | +52.9% |
| 2025 | 6,732 | +19.7% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 6,732 is below the median for high income countries, which is 51,316, 13% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 6,732 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6,732, 1.0× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1,886 | 1,452 | 2,455 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,890 | 2,364 | 6,732 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (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 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand?
- Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand was 6,732 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6,732 in 2025.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,452 in 2015.
- How does New Zealand rank for forcibly displaced people?
- New Zealand ranks 132nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 363.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.