Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Canada
Canada: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 416,028 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Canada, 1960–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Canada recorded 416,028 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 54.4% on the previous year and up 206.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Canada peaked at 416,028 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9,980, in 1965.
Canada ranks 21st 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 Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 48,629 | — |
| 1961 | 44,492 | -8.5% |
| 1962 | 12,282 | -72.4% |
| 1963 | 10,946 | -10.9% |
| 1964 | 10,178 | -7.0% |
| 1965 | 9,980 | -1.9% |
| 1966 | 10,225 | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 9,991 | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 17,950 | +79.7% |
| 1969 | 19,275 | +7.4% |
| 1970 | 18,518 | -3.9% |
| 1971 | 17,196 | -7.1% |
| 1972 | 20,933 | +21.7% |
| 1973 | 13,358 | -36.2% |
| 1974 | 11,410 | -14.6% |
| 1975 | 16,349 | +43.3% |
| 1976 | 27,387 | +67.5% |
| 1977 | 29,537 | +7.9% |
| 1978 | 31,295 | +6.0% |
| 1979 | 57,913 | +85.1% |
| 1980 | 92,679 | +60.0% |
| 1981 | 96,415 | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 107,591 | +11.6% |
| 1983 | 120,947 | +12.4% |
| 1984 | 112,966 | -6.6% |
| 1985 | 92,194 | -18.4% |
| 1986 | 98,743 | +7.1% |
| 1987 | 104,843 | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 116,434 | +11.1% |
| 1989 | 135,752 | +16.6% |
| 1990 | 154,761 | +14.0% |
| 1991 | 170,916 | +10.4% |
| 1992 | 183,723 | +7.5% |
| 1993 | 183,241 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 186,555 | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 152,110 | -18.5% |
| 1996 | 138,427 | -9.0% |
| 1997 | 125,176 | -9.6% |
| 1998 | 119,355 | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 123,303 | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 126,991 | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 129,227 | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 129,935 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 133,088 | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 141,402 | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 147,164 | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 151,832 | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 175,728 | +15.7% |
| 2008 | 173,642 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 169,424 | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 165,544 | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 164,879 | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 163,751 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 160,347 | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 149,164 | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 135,890 | -8.9% |
| 2016 | 97,322 | -28.4% |
| 2017 | 104,768 | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 114,101 | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 101,757 | -10.8% |
| 2020 | 109,214 | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 130,125 | +19.1% |
| 2022 | 140,621 | +8.1% |
| 2023 | 169,448 | +20.5% |
| 2024 | 269,496 | +59.0% |
| 2025 | 416,028 | +54.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19,395 | 9,980 | 48,629 | 10 |
| 1970s | 24,390 | 11,410 | 57,913 | 10 |
| 1980s | 107,856 | 92,194 | 135,752 | 10 |
| 1990s | 153,757 | 119,355 | 186,555 | 10 |
| 2000s | 147,843 | 126,991 | 175,728 | 10 |
| 2010s | 135,752 | 97,322 | 165,544 | 10 |
| 2020s | 205,822 | 109,214 | 416,028 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More social development data for Canada
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (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 360 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.01 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 54.37 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Canada?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Canada was 416,028 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 416,028 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,980 in 1965.
- How does Canada rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Canada ranks 21st 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 Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 206.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.