Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 581,072 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 581,072. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 12.7% on the previous year and up 372.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 581,072 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 39,755, in 1988.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 14th 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 167,000 | — |
| 1961 | 164,000 | -1.8% |
| 1962 | 160,000 | -2.4% |
| 1963 | 157,000 | -1.9% |
| 1964 | 160,000 | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 170,000 | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 167,000 | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 164,000 | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 161,000 | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 162,000 | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 162,000 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 150,000 | -7.4% |
| 1972 | 150,000 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 150,000 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 155,500 | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 153,000 | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 153,000 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 148,000 | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 150,000 | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 146,000 | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 148,000 | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 146,000 | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 143,000 | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 140,000 | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 135,000 | -3.6% |
| 1985 | 135,000 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 100,000 | -25.9% |
| 1987 | 100,000 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 39,755 | -60.2% |
| 1989 | 46,014 | +15.7% |
| 1990 | 43,625 | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 43,368 | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 64,717 | +49.2% |
| 1993 | 80,230 | +24.0% |
| 1994 | 85,159 | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 90,908 | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 98,577 | +8.4% |
| 1997 | 107,933 | +9.5% |
| 1998 | 121,715 | +12.8% |
| 1999 | 148,921 | +22.4% |
| 2000 | 186,247 | +25.1% |
| 2001 | 233,389 | +25.3% |
| 2002 | 260,687 | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 276,482 | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 298,826 | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 303,163 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 301,537 | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 299,701 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 292,081 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 269,355 | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 238,133 | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 193,494 | -18.7% |
| 2012 | 149,790 | -22.6% |
| 2013 | 126,036 | -15.9% |
| 2014 | 117,226 | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 123,051 | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 118,973 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 121,821 | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 126,708 | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 133,083 | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 132,304 | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 137,078 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 328,989 | +140.0% |
| 2023 | 448,620 | +36.4% |
| 2024 | 515,677 | +14.9% |
| 2025 | 581,072 | +12.7% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 581,072 is above the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 46.4× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 581,072 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 62,365, 9.3× 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 | +140.0% | 137,078 | 328,989 |
| 1988 | -60.2% | 100,000 | 39,755 |
| 1992 | +49.2% | 43,368 | 64,717 |
| 2023 | +36.4% | 328,989 | 448,620 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 163,200 | 157,000 | 170,000 | 10 |
| 1970s | 151,750 | 146,000 | 162,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 113,277 | 39,755 | 148,000 | 10 |
| 1990s | 88,515 | 43,368 | 148,921 | 10 |
| 2000s | 272,147 | 186,247 | 303,163 | 10 |
| 2010s | 144,832 | 117,226 | 238,133 | 10 |
| 2020s | 357,290 | 132,304 | 581,072 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More social development data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 581,072 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 581,072 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39,755 in 1988.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 14th 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 372.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.