Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income

Low & middle income: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 18.78 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
18.78 million
Change on year
down 12.7%
Rank
2nd
of 44 groups
All-time high
21.61 million
in 2023
All-time low
155,900
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income, 1960–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M196019922025

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income is 18.78 million, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.7% on the previous year and up 35.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income peaked at 21.61 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 155,900, in 1960.

Low & middle income ranks 2nd of 44 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

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 Low & middle income, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in Low & middle income, 1960 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1960 155,900
1961 308,200 +97.7%
1962 330,200 +7.1%
1963 361,000 +9.3%
1964 559,380 +55.0%
1965 683,210 +22.1%
1966 843,570 +23.5%
1967 962,480 +14.1%
1968 1.09 million +12.8%
1969 1.19 million +10.1%
1970 1.20 million +0.6%
1971 1.23 million +2.3%
1972 1.33 million +8.2%
1973 1.23 million -7.4%
1974 1.29 million +4.5%
1975 1.71 million +32.3%
1976 2.60 million +52.7%
1977 3.14 million +20.6%
1978 3.13 million -0.4%
1979 4.28 million +36.9%
1980 6.78 million +58.3%
1981 7.98 million +17.6%
1982 8.47 million +6.2%
1983 8.66 million +2.3%
1984 8.87 million +2.4%
1985 9.76 million +10.1%
1986 10.05 million +2.9%
1987 10.85 million +8.0%
1988 12.28 million +13.2%
1989 12.55 million +2.2%
1990 14.96 million +19.2%
1991 14.42 million -3.6%
1992 14.40 million -0.1%
1993 12.87 million -10.7%
1994 12.35 million -4.0%
1995 11.61 million -5.9%
1996 9.84 million -15.3%
1997 8.87 million -9.8%
1998 8.70 million -2.0%
1999 8.93 million +2.6%
2000 9.56 million +7.1%
2001 9.27 million -3.1%
2002 7.70 million -17.0%
2003 6.79 million -11.8%
2004 6.91 million +1.8%
2005 6.22 million -10.0%
2006 7.06 million +13.4%
2007 9.14 million +29.6%
2008 8.21 million -10.2%
2009 8.36 million +1.9%
2010 8.54 million +2.1%
2011 8.42 million -1.4%
2012 8.51 million +1.0%
2013 10.07 million +18.3%
2014 12.40 million +23.2%
2015 13.83 million +11.5%
2016 14.45 million +4.5%
2017 16.89 million +16.9%
2018 17.11 million +1.3%
2019 16.94 million -1.0%
2020 17.13 million +1.1%
2021 17.60 million +2.7%
2022 20.24 million +15.0%
2023 21.61 million +6.8%
2024 21.52 million -0.4%
2025 18.78 million -12.7%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income 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.

YearChange FromTo
1961 +97.7% 155,900 308,200

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 648,403 155,900 1.19 million 10
1970s 2.11 million 1.20 million 4.28 million 10
1980s 9.63 million 6.78 million 12.55 million 10
1990s 11.69 million 8.70 million 14.96 million 10
2000s 7.92 million 6.22 million 9.56 million 10
2010s 12.71 million 8.42 million 17.11 million 10
2020s 19.48 million 17.13 million 21.61 million 6

Countries ranked near Low & middle income

  1. 1 Germany 2.66 million compare
  2. 2 Türkiye 2.39 million compare
  3. 3 Uganda 1.94 million compare
  4. 4 Chad 1.50 million compare
  5. 5 Bangladesh 1.18 million compare

See the full ranking of 226 places →

More social development data for Low & middle income

All data for Low & middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income was 18.78 million in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Low & middle income?
The highest recorded value was 21.61 million in 2023.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Low & middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 155,900 in 1960.
How does Low & middle income rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Low & middle income ranks 2nd out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Low & middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Low & middle income 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.

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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-asylum-gaps-filled/low-and-middle-income/

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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

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

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
226 places, 10,579 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.