Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Guatemala
Guatemala: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 1,586 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Guatemala, 1972–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Guatemala is 1,586, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 21.4% on the previous year and up 614.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Guatemala peaked at 223,377 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 127, in 2008.
Guatemala ranks 118th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Guatemala, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 160 | — |
| 1980 | 4,130 | +2481.2% |
| 1981 | 100,000 | +2321.3% |
| 1982 | 70,000 | -30.0% |
| 1983 | 70,000 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 70,000 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 12,000 | -82.9% |
| 1986 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 223,100 | +1759.2% |
| 1989 | 223,100 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 223,377 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 223,236 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 222,929 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 4,689 | -97.9% |
| 1994 | 4,672 | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 1,497 | -68.0% |
| 1996 | 1,560 | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 1,501 | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 814 | -45.8% |
| 1999 | 731 | -10.2% |
| 2000 | 720 | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 724 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 732 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 714 | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 655 | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 388 | -40.8% |
| 2006 | 379 | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 377 | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 127 | -66.3% |
| 2009 | 127 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 137 | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 148 | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 157 | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 154 | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 160 | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 222 | +38.8% |
| 2016 | 295 | +32.9% |
| 2017 | 360 | +22.0% |
| 2018 | 380 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 408 | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 442 | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 479 | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 701 | +46.3% |
| 2023 | 989 | +41.1% |
| 2024 | 1,306 | +32.1% |
| 2025 | 1,586 | +21.4% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 1,586 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 34% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 1,586 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 290.5, 5.5× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Guatemala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +2481.2% | 160 | 4,130 |
| 1981 | +2321.3% | 4,130 | 100,000 |
| 1988 | +1759.2% | 12,000 | 223,100 |
| 1993 | -97.9% | 222,929 | 4,689 |
| 1985 | -82.9% | 70,000 | 12,000 |
| 1995 | -68.0% | 4,672 | 1,497 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 160 | 160 | 160 | 1 |
| 1980s | 79,633 | 4,130 | 223,100 | 10 |
| 1990s | 68,501 | 731 | 223,377 | 10 |
| 2000s | 494.3 | 127 | 732 | 10 |
| 2010s | 242.1 | 137 | 408 | 10 |
| 2020s | 917.17 | 442 | 1,586 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 115 Guinea 2,154 compare
- 116 New Zealand 2,148 compare
- 117 Trinidad and Tobago 1,877 compare
- 119 Colombia 1,464 compare
- 120 Eswatini 1,414 compare
- 121 United Arab Emirates 1,377 compare
More social development data for Guatemala
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0019 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 34,994 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 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 21.44 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Guatemala?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Guatemala was 1,586 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 223,377 in 1990.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 127 in 2008.
- How does Guatemala rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Guatemala ranks 118th 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 Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 614.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.
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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.