Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 493,239 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1969–2025
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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) is 493,239, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 4.5% on the previous year and up 57.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 913,052 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 22,744, in 2003.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 91,000 | — |
| 1970 | 98,500 | +8.2% |
| 1971 | 95,400 | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 94,380 | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 93,750 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 109,010 | +16.3% |
| 1975 | 78,600 | -27.9% |
| 1976 | 71,450 | -9.1% |
| 1977 | 98,800 | +38.3% |
| 1978 | 106,290 | +7.6% |
| 1979 | 90,890 | -14.5% |
| 1980 | 162,110 | +78.4% |
| 1981 | 386,060 | +138.1% |
| 1982 | 323,670 | -16.2% |
| 1983 | 331,780 | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 347,990 | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 304,910 | -12.4% |
| 1986 | 302,590 | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 301,400 | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 913,052 | +202.9% |
| 1989 | 912,746 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 910,568 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 772,402 | -15.2% |
| 1992 | 765,518 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 99,021 | -87.1% |
| 1994 | 83,079 | -16.1% |
| 1995 | 68,341 | -17.7% |
| 1996 | 63,868 | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 58,952 | -7.7% |
| 1998 | 40,796 | -30.8% |
| 1999 | 36,743 | -9.9% |
| 2000 | 30,439 | -17.2% |
| 2001 | 27,012 | -11.3% |
| 2002 | 26,309 | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 22,744 | -13.6% |
| 2004 | 23,429 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 23,732 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 25,831 | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 494,801 | +1815.5% |
| 2008 | 313,294 | -36.7% |
| 2009 | 329,500 | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 335,248 | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 338,394 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 340,737 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 341,586 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 312,275 | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 314,228 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 298,445 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 242,582 | -18.7% |
| 2018 | 205,283 | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 244,211 | +19.0% |
| 2020 | 290,538 | +19.0% |
| 2021 | 249,820 | -14.0% |
| 2022 | 273,550 | +9.5% |
| 2023 | 474,830 | +73.6% |
| 2024 | 472,207 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 493,239 | +4.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +1815.5% | 25,831 | 494,801 |
| 1988 | +202.9% | 301,400 | 913,052 |
| 1981 | +138.1% | 162,110 | 386,060 |
| 1993 | -87.1% | 765,518 | 99,021 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 91,000 | 91,000 | 91,000 | 1 |
| 1970s | 93,707 | 71,450 | 109,010 | 10 |
| 1980s | 428,631 | 162,110 | 913,052 | 10 |
| 1990s | 289,929 | 36,743 | 910,568 | 10 |
| 2000s | 131,709 | 22,744 | 494,801 | 10 |
| 2010s | 297,299 | 205,283 | 341,586 | 10 |
| 2020s | 375,697 | 249,820 | 493,239 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
More social development data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.01 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0016 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.01 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0008 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 4.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 493,239 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9.4 % change on previous year (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 0.0253 units per square kilometre (2023)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 493,239 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 913,052 in 1988.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,744 in 2003.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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 — 57 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.