Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Switzerland
Switzerland: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 208,287 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Switzerland, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Switzerland is 208,287, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 184.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Switzerland peaked at 208,287 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 20,000, in 1960.
Switzerland ranks 33rd 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 20,000 | — |
| 1961 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 20,000 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 20,500 | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 21,000 | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 26,000 | +23.8% |
| 1969 | 30,000 | +15.4% |
| 1970 | 31,000 | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 30,000 | -3.2% |
| 1972 | 35,000 | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 30,000 | -14.3% |
| 1978 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 32,000 | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 40,000 | +25.0% |
| 1982 | 33,404 | -16.5% |
| 1983 | 32,312 | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 31,201 | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 30,726 | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 31,343 | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 31,707 | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 31,949 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 36,763 | +15.1% |
| 1990 | 40,943 | +11.4% |
| 1991 | 45,622 | +11.4% |
| 1992 | 51,930 | +13.8% |
| 1993 | 56,586 | +9.0% |
| 1994 | 75,295 | +33.1% |
| 1995 | 82,943 | +10.2% |
| 1996 | 84,413 | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 83,205 | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 81,875 | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 82,273 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 57,624 | -30.0% |
| 2001 | 58,471 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 54,081 | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 50,126 | -7.3% |
| 2004 | 47,654 | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 48,010 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 48,508 | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 45,642 | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 46,131 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 46,204 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 48,813 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 50,401 | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 50,733 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 52,448 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 62,596 | +19.3% |
| 2015 | 73,326 | +17.1% |
| 2016 | 82,668 | +12.7% |
| 2017 | 93,030 | +12.5% |
| 2018 | 104,011 | +11.8% |
| 2019 | 110,162 | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 115,798 | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 118,829 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 182,474 | +53.6% |
| 2023 | 192,507 | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 196,167 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 208,287 | +6.2% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 208,287 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 16.6× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 208,287 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 3.3× 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 Switzerland 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 | +53.6% | 118,829 | 182,474 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21,750 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 10 |
| 1970s | 32,600 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 33,140 | 30,726 | 40,000 | 10 |
| 1990s | 68,508 | 40,943 | 84,413 | 10 |
| 2000s | 50,245 | 45,642 | 58,471 | 10 |
| 2010s | 72,819 | 48,813 | 110,162 | 10 |
| 2020s | 169,010 | 115,798 | 208,287 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More social development data for Switzerland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 208,287 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6 (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 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0229 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 Switzerland?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Switzerland was 208,287 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 208,287 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 20,000 in 1960.
- How does Switzerland rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Switzerland ranks 33rd 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 Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 184.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.