Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malaysia
Malaysia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 150,164 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malaysia, 1977–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia stood at 150,164. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.5% on the previous year and up 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia peaked at 150,164 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 145, in 1993.
That places Malaysia 40th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 96,000 | — |
| 1978 | 141,580 | +47.5% |
| 1979 | 124,880 | -11.8% |
| 1980 | 104,040 | -16.7% |
| 1981 | 103,250 | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 99,240 | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 110,700 | +11.5% |
| 1984 | 109,060 | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 105,310 | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 99,000 | -6.0% |
| 1987 | 99,420 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 104,553 | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 110,482 | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 14,862 | -86.5% |
| 1991 | 13,947 | -6.2% |
| 1992 | 11,399 | -18.3% |
| 1993 | 145 | -98.7% |
| 1994 | 5,298 | +3553.8% |
| 1995 | 5,279 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 5,305 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 5,277 | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 50,603 | +858.9% |
| 1999 | 50,509 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 50,477 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 50,456 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 50,614 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 7,422 | -85.3% |
| 2004 | 24,900 | +235.5% |
| 2005 | 33,684 | +35.3% |
| 2006 | 37,158 | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 32,657 | -12.1% |
| 2008 | 36,668 | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 66,126 | +80.3% |
| 2010 | 81,518 | +23.3% |
| 2011 | 86,676 | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 90,173 | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 97,502 | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 99,362 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 94,158 | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 92,256 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 103,837 | +12.6% |
| 2018 | 121,305 | +16.8% |
| 2019 | 129,102 | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 129,902 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 132,086 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 134,554 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 135,872 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 138,417 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 150,164 | +8.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 150,164 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 32.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 150,164 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 155, 968.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +3553.8% | 145 | 5,298 |
| 1998 | +858.9% | 5,277 | 50,603 |
| 2004 | +235.5% | 7,422 | 24,900 |
| 1993 | -98.7% | 11,399 | 145 |
| 1990 | -86.5% | 110,482 | 14,862 |
| 2003 | -85.3% | 50,614 | 7,422 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 120,820 | 96,000 | 141,580 | 3 |
| 1980s | 104,506 | 99,000 | 110,700 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,262 | 145 | 50,603 | 10 |
| 2000s | 39,016 | 7,422 | 66,126 | 10 |
| 2010s | 99,589 | 81,518 | 129,102 | 10 |
| 2020s | 136,832 | 129,902 | 150,164 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More social development data for Malaysia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 150,164 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (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 2,477 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0042 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 Malaysia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia was 150,164 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 150,164 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 145 in 1993.
- How does Malaysia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Malaysia ranks 40th 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 Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 49 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.