Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population in Iran
Iran: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population was 770,514 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iran, 1962–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Iran recorded 770,514 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is down 77.9% on the previous year and down 21.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran peaked at 4.41 million in 1991 and was at its lowest, 300, in 1968.
Iran ranks 11th of 179 countries on this measure, 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 … asylum Refugee Population in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 2,000 | — |
| 1963 | 1,500 | -25.0% |
| 1968 | 300 | -80.0% |
| 1969 | 300 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 130,100 | +43266.7% |
| 1980 | 330,000 | +153.7% |
| 1981 | 1.56 million | +374.2% |
| 1982 | 1.70 million | +8.6% |
| 1983 | 1.90 million | +11.8% |
| 1984 | 2.00 million | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 2.30 million | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 2.59 million | +12.6% |
| 1987 | 2.76 million | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 2.85 million | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 2.85 million | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4.17 million | +46.5% |
| 1991 | 4.41 million | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 4.15 million | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 2.50 million | -39.9% |
| 1994 | 2.24 million | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 2.07 million | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 2.03 million | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.98 million | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 1.93 million | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 1.84 million | -5.0% |
| 2000 | 1.87 million | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 1.87 million | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.31 million | -30.1% |
| 2003 | 984,895 | -24.6% |
| 2004 | 1.05 million | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 974,301 | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 968,368 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 963,544 | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 980,104 | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 1.07 million | +9.2% |
| 2010 | 1.07 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 886,465 | -17.4% |
| 2012 | 868,239 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 857,352 | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 982,025 | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 979,435 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 979,435 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 979,435 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 979,435 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 979,435 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 800,025 | -18.3% |
| 2021 | 798,343 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 3.43 million | +329.0% |
| 2023 | 3.76 million | +9.9% |
| 2024 | 3.49 million | -7.3% |
| 2025 | 770,514 | -77.9% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 770,514 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 165.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Iran's 770,514 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 15,377, 50.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +43266.7% | 300 | 130,100 |
| 1981 | +374.2% | 330,000 | 1.56 million |
| 2022 | +329.0% | 798,343 | 3.43 million |
| 1980 | +153.7% | 130,100 | 330,000 |
| 1968 | -80.0% | 1,500 | 300 |
| 2025 | -77.9% | 3.49 million | 770,514 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,025 | 300 | 2,000 | 4 |
| 1970s | 130,100 | 130,100 | 130,100 | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.08 million | 330,000 | 2.85 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.73 million | 1.84 million | 4.41 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.20 million | 963,544 | 1.87 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 956,462 | 857,352 | 1.07 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.17 million | 770,514 | 3.76 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (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 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 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 -77.92 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran was 770,514 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 4.41 million in 1991.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 300 in 1968.
- How does Iran rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Iran ranks 11th 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 Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran 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 — 51 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.