Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iceland
Iceland: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 8,459 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iceland, 1990–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iceland stood at 8,459.
The figure is up 7.4% on the previous year and up 4,875.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iceland peaked at 8,715 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39, in 2008.
Iceland ranks 95th of 179 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.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 85 | — |
| 1991 | 141 | +65.9% |
| 1992 | 154 | +9.2% |
| 1993 | 160 | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 160 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 197 | +23.1% |
| 1996 | 232 | +17.8% |
| 1997 | 252 | +8.6% |
| 1998 | 286 | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 245 | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 235 | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 204 | -13.2% |
| 2002 | 197 | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 226 | +14.7% |
| 2004 | 226 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 284 | +25.7% |
| 2006 | 254 | -10.6% |
| 2007 | 41 | -83.9% |
| 2008 | 39 | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 58 | +48.7% |
| 2010 | 72 | +24.1% |
| 2011 | 55 | -23.6% |
| 2012 | 55 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 72 | +30.9% |
| 2014 | 93 | +29.2% |
| 2015 | 170 | +82.8% |
| 2016 | 245 | +44.1% |
| 2017 | 361 | +47.3% |
| 2018 | 549 | +52.1% |
| 2019 | 894 | +62.8% |
| 2020 | 1,460 | +63.3% |
| 2021 | 1,830 | +25.3% |
| 2022 | 5,240 | +186.3% |
| 2023 | 8,715 | +66.3% |
| 2024 | 7,879 | -9.6% |
| 2025 | 8,459 | +7.4% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 8,459 is below the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 68% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 8,459 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 14% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iceland 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 | +186.3% | 1,830 | 5,240 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 191.2 | 85 | 286 | 10 |
| 2000s | 176.4 | 39 | 284 | 10 |
| 2010s | 256.6 | 55 | 894 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,597 | 1,460 | 8,715 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 92 Syrian Arab Republic 9,885 compare
- 93 Tajikistan 8,620 compare
- 94 Zimbabwe 8,570 compare
- 96 Malta 8,306 compare
- 97 Papua New Guinea 7,727 compare
- 98 Indonesia 7,374 compare
More social development data for Iceland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,459 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (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 0 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0216 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 refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iceland?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iceland was 8,459 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 8,715 in 2023.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39 in 2008.
- How does Iceland rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Iceland ranks 95th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4,875.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.