Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Sweden
Sweden: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 144,116 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Sweden, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Sweden recorded 144,116 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
That represents a change of down 11.6% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sweden peaked at 277,726 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17,000, in 1968.
Sweden ranks 42nd of 179 countries on this measure, 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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26,000 | — |
| 1961 | 26,000 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 26,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 26,000 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 24,000 | -7.7% |
| 1965 | 22,000 | -8.3% |
| 1966 | 20,000 | -9.1% |
| 1967 | 18,000 | -10.0% |
| 1968 | 17,000 | -5.6% |
| 1969 | 17,000 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 20,000 | +17.6% |
| 1971 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 43,000 | +115.0% |
| 1984 | 90,600 | +110.7% |
| 1985 | 90,600 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 120,000 | +32.5% |
| 1987 | 130,000 | +8.3% |
| 1988 | 139,783 | +7.5% |
| 1989 | 139,783 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 109,654 | -21.6% |
| 1991 | 124,457 | +13.5% |
| 1992 | 131,069 | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 162,386 | +23.9% |
| 1994 | 200,774 | +23.6% |
| 1995 | 199,194 | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 191,159 | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 186,719 | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 178,782 | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 159,504 | -10.8% |
| 2000 | 157,206 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 146,480 | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 142,170 | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 112,148 | -21.1% |
| 2004 | 73,383 | -34.6% |
| 2005 | 74,889 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 79,895 | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 75,055 | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 77,016 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 81,346 | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 82,620 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 86,603 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 92,869 | +7.2% |
| 2013 | 114,172 | +22.9% |
| 2014 | 142,197 | +24.5% |
| 2015 | 169,516 | +19.2% |
| 2016 | 230,158 | +35.8% |
| 2017 | 240,954 | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 248,210 | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 253,787 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 248,372 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 240,854 | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 277,726 | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 237,632 | -14.4% |
| 2024 | 163,029 | -31.4% |
| 2025 | 144,116 | -11.6% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 144,116 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 11.5× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 144,116 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 2.3× 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 Sweden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +115.0% | 20,000 | 43,000 |
| 1984 | +110.7% | 43,000 | 90,600 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22,200 | 17,000 | 26,000 | 10 |
| 1970s | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 81,377 | 20,000 | 139,783 | 10 |
| 1990s | 164,370 | 109,654 | 200,774 | 10 |
| 2000s | 101,959 | 73,383 | 157,206 | 10 |
| 2010s | 166,109 | 82,620 | 253,787 | 10 |
| 2020s | 218,622 | 144,116 | 277,726 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More social development data for Sweden
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 144,116 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 128 (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 128 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0136 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 Sweden?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sweden was 144,116 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 277,726 in 2022.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,000 in 1968.
- How does Sweden rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Sweden ranks 42nd 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 Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sweden 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 — 66 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.