Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Spain
Spain: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 511,079 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Spain, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Spain is 511,079, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 19.0% on the previous year and up 7,827.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Spain peaked at 511,079 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 1961.
That places Spain 17th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2,000 | — |
| 1962 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 14,000 | +600.0% |
| 1965 | 14,000 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 17,000 | +21.4% |
| 1967 | 20,000 | +17.6% |
| 1968 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 23,000 | +15.0% |
| 1970 | 29,500 | +28.3% |
| 1971 | 38,000 | +28.8% |
| 1972 | 40,000 | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 26,000 | -35.0% |
| 1974 | 18,000 | -30.8% |
| 1975 | 16,000 | -11.1% |
| 1976 | 16,500 | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 15,000 | -9.1% |
| 1978 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 26,000 | +73.3% |
| 1980 | 21,500 | -17.3% |
| 1981 | 21,500 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 23,500 | +9.3% |
| 1983 | 23,700 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 9,900 | -58.2% |
| 1985 | 9,300 | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 10,200 | +9.7% |
| 1987 | 9,200 | -9.8% |
| 1988 | 8,691 | -5.5% |
| 1989 | 8,676 | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 8,303 | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 4,005 | -51.8% |
| 1992 | 4,040 | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 4,990 | +23.5% |
| 1994 | 5,351 | +7.2% |
| 1995 | 5,840 | +9.1% |
| 1996 | 5,672 | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 5,512 | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 5,918 | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 6,708 | +13.3% |
| 2000 | 6,982 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 6,804 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 6,783 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 5,912 | -12.8% |
| 2004 | 5,690 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 5,369 | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 5,269 | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 5,143 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 4,649 | -9.6% |
| 2009 | 3,960 | -14.8% |
| 2010 | 3,814 | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 4,220 | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 4,502 | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 4,641 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 5,797 | +24.9% |
| 2015 | 6,447 | +11.2% |
| 2016 | 12,983 | +101.4% |
| 2017 | 17,541 | +35.1% |
| 2018 | 20,437 | +16.5% |
| 2019 | 57,751 | +182.6% |
| 2020 | 103,624 | +79.4% |
| 2021 | 122,539 | +18.3% |
| 2022 | 314,490 | +156.6% |
| 2023 | 385,701 | +22.6% |
| 2024 | 429,333 | +11.3% |
| 2025 | 511,079 | +19.0% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 511,079 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 40.8× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Spain's 511,079 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 8.2× 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 Spain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +600.0% | 2,000 | 14,000 |
| 2019 | +182.6% | 20,437 | 57,751 |
| 2022 | +156.6% | 122,539 | 314,490 |
| 2016 | +101.4% | 6,447 | 12,983 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12,667 | 2,000 | 23,000 | 9 |
| 1970s | 24,000 | 15,000 | 40,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 14,617 | 8,676 | 23,700 | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,634 | 4,005 | 8,303 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,656 | 3,960 | 6,982 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,813 | 3,814 | 57,751 | 10 |
| 2020s | 311,128 | 103,624 | 511,079 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 14 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 581,072 compare
- 15 Libya 552,523 compare
- 16 Lebanon 535,168 compare
- 18 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 503,732 compare
- 19 United States of America 457,647 compare
- 20 Jordan 436,226 compare
More social development data for Spain
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 511,079 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 186 (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 186 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0104 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 Spain?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Spain was 511,079 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 511,079 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 1961.
- How does Spain rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Spain ranks 17th 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 Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7,827.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Spain 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 — 65 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.