Other people in need of international protection by country or in World
World: Other people in need of international protection by country or was 7.18 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Other people in need of international protection by country or in World, 2018–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, other people in need of international protection by country or in World stood at 7.18 million. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 22.2% on the previous year and up 176.8% over ten years.
That places World 1st out of 20 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Other people in need of international protection by country or in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.59 million | — |
| 2019 | 3.58 million | +38.2% |
| 2020 | 3.86 million | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 4.41 million | +14.1% |
| 2022 | 5.22 million | +18.4% |
| 2023 | 5.76 million | +10.3% |
| 2024 | 5.88 million | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 7.18 million | +22.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.09 million | 2.59 million | 3.58 million | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.38 million | 3.86 million | 7.18 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More social development data for World
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 28.46 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 28.11 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0034 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 28.11 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0035 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -8.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 28.46 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -7.96 % change on previous year (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 other people in need of international protection by country or in World?
- Other people in need of international protection by country or in World was 7.18 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest other people in need of international protection by country or recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 7.18 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest other people in need of international protection by country or recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.59 million in 2018.
- How does World rank for other people in need of international protection by country or?
- World ranks 1st out of 20 groups with data for 2025.
- Is other people in need of international protection by country or rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 176.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Other people in need of international protection by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Other people in need of international protection refer to people who are outside their country or territory of origin, typically because they have been forcibly displaced across international borders, who have not been reported under other categories (including asylum-seekers and refugees) but who likely need international protection, including protection against forced return, as well as access to basic services on a temporary or longer-term basis.