Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … gaps filled asylum in Turkey
Turkey: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … gaps filled asylum was 2.39 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Turkey, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Turkey is 2.39 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 18.7% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Turkey peaked at 3.76 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1,050, in 1977.
That places Turkey 2nd 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 … gaps filled asylum in Turkey, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,200 | — |
| 1961 | 2,300 | +4.5% |
| 1962 | 2,300 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2,300 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2,300 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2,000 | -13.0% |
| 1966 | 1,900 | -5.0% |
| 1967 | 1,850 | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 1,980 | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 1,400 | -29.3% |
| 1970 | 1,170 | -16.4% |
| 1971 | 1,150 | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 1,160 | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 1,160 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1,060 | -8.6% |
| 1975 | 1,060 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1,060 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1,050 | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 1,070 | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 1,060 | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 6,100 | +475.5% |
| 1981 | 1,180 | -80.7% |
| 1982 | 1,670 | +41.5% |
| 1983 | 1,320 | -21.0% |
| 1984 | 2,600 | +97.0% |
| 1985 | 1,790 | -31.2% |
| 1986 | 1,920 | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 2,200 | +14.6% |
| 1988 | 4,450 | +102.3% |
| 1989 | 33,067 | +643.1% |
| 1990 | 28,000 | -15.3% |
| 1991 | 30,462 | +8.8% |
| 1992 | 28,477 | -6.5% |
| 1993 | 23,267 | -18.3% |
| 1994 | 24,927 | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 12,841 | -48.5% |
| 1996 | 8,166 | -36.4% |
| 1997 | 2,448 | -70.0% |
| 1998 | 2,529 | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 2,810 | +11.1% |
| 2000 | 3,096 | +10.2% |
| 2001 | 3,466 | +12.0% |
| 2002 | 3,302 | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 2,488 | -24.7% |
| 2004 | 3,029 | +21.7% |
| 2005 | 2,395 | -20.9% |
| 2006 | 2,624 | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 6,941 | +164.5% |
| 2008 | 11,090 | +59.8% |
| 2009 | 10,339 | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 10,025 | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 14,457 | +44.2% |
| 2012 | 267,063 | +1747.3% |
| 2013 | 609,931 | +128.4% |
| 2014 | 1.59 million | +160.3% |
| 2015 | 2.54 million | +60.1% |
| 2016 | 2.87 million | +12.9% |
| 2017 | 3.48 million | +21.3% |
| 2018 | 3.68 million | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 3.58 million | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 3.65 million | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 3.76 million | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 3.57 million | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 3.25 million | -8.9% |
| 2024 | 2.94 million | -9.5% |
| 2025 | 2.39 million | -18.7% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 2.39 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 514.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 2.39 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 38.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … gaps filled asylum in Turkey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +1747.3% | 14,457 | 267,063 |
| 1989 | +643.1% | 4,450 | 33,067 |
| 1980 | +475.5% | 1,060 | 6,100 |
| 2007 | +164.5% | 2,624 | 6,941 |
| 2014 | +160.3% | 609,931 | 1.59 million |
| 2013 | +128.4% | 267,063 | 609,931 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,053 | 1,400 | 2,300 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,100 | 1,050 | 1,170 | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,630 | 1,180 | 33,067 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,393 | 2,448 | 30,462 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,877 | 2,395 | 11,090 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.86 million | 10,025 | 3.68 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.26 million | 2.39 million | 3.76 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More social development data for Turkey
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2.39 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 149,405 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0278 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 Turkey?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Turkey was 2.39 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 Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 3.76 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,050 in 1977.
- How does Turkey rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Turkey ranks 2nd 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 Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Turkey 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.