Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 236 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China, 1964–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Hong Kong, China recorded 236 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.2% on the previous year and up 116.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China peaked at 1.25 million in 1965 and was at its lowest, 50, in 1972.
Hong Kong, China ranks 138th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom 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 Hong Kong, China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 1.12 million | — |
| 1965 | 1.25 million | +11.7% |
| 1966 | 1.25 million | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 1,000 | -99.9% |
| 1971 | 1,000 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 50 | -95.0% |
| 1978 | 63,410 | +126720.0% |
| 1979 | 55,700 | -12.2% |
| 1980 | 24,070 | -56.8% |
| 1981 | 13,540 | -43.7% |
| 1982 | 12,620 | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 12,770 | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 11,960 | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 9,400 | -21.4% |
| 1986 | 8,000 | -14.9% |
| 1987 | 9,530 | +19.1% |
| 1988 | 15,359 | +61.2% |
| 1989 | 12,022 | -21.7% |
| 1990 | 8,161 | -32.1% |
| 1991 | 4,414 | -45.9% |
| 1992 | 2,605 | -41.0% |
| 1993 | 1,846 | -29.1% |
| 1994 | 1,698 | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 1,479 | -12.9% |
| 1996 | 1,350 | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 1,224 | -9.3% |
| 1998 | 1,037 | -15.3% |
| 1999 | 973 | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 980 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 1,392 | +42.0% |
| 2002 | 1,490 | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 1,899 | +27.4% |
| 2004 | 1,865 | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 1,925 | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 1,932 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 89 | -95.4% |
| 2008 | 90 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 78 | -13.3% |
| 2010 | 149 | +91.0% |
| 2011 | 146 | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 105 | -28.1% |
| 2013 | 113 | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 160 | +41.6% |
| 2015 | 109 | -31.9% |
| 2016 | 91 | -16.5% |
| 2017 | 85 | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 128 | +50.6% |
| 2019 | 128 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 245 | +91.4% |
| 2021 | 271 | +10.6% |
| 2022 | 285 | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 301 | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 260 | -13.6% |
| 2025 | 236 | -9.2% |
Hong Kong, China compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong, China's 236 is below the median for high income countries, which is 12,513, 2% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong, China's 236 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 155, 1.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +126720.0% | 50 | 63,410 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.21 million | 1.12 million | 1.25 million | 3 |
| 1970s | 24,232 | 50 | 63,410 | 5 |
| 1980s | 12,927 | 8,000 | 24,070 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,479 | 973 | 8,161 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,174 | 78 | 1,932 | 10 |
| 2010s | 121.4 | 85 | 160 | 10 |
| 2020s | 266.33 | 236 | 301 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China
More social development data for Hong Kong, China
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 245 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (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 245 (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 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -9.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 236 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Hong Kong, China was 236 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 Hong Kong, China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.25 million in 1965.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Hong Kong, China?
- The lowest recorded value was 50 in 1972.
- How does Hong Kong, China rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Hong Kong, China ranks 138th 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 Hong Kong, China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 116.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hong Kong, China 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
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.