Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lebanon
Lebanon: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 535,168 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Lebanon, 1964–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lebanon stood at 535,168.
The figure is down 29.5% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lebanon peaked at 1.15 million in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1967.
That places Lebanon 16th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 by country or territory of in Lebanon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 1,310 | — |
| 1965 | 570 | -56.5% |
| 1966 | 3,430 | +501.8% |
| 1967 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1968 | 4,510 | — |
| 1969 | 4,510 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1971 | 3,050 | — |
| 1972 | 3,340 | +9.5% |
| 1973 | 3,830 | +14.7% |
| 1974 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 700,000 | — |
| 1977 | 700,000 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5,000 | -99.3% |
| 1979 | 2,900 | -42.0% |
| 1980 | 5,000 | +72.4% |
| 1981 | 3,200 | -36.0% |
| 1982 | 2,800 | -12.5% |
| 1983 | 2,920 | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 2,920 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 4,890 | +67.5% |
| 1986 | 5,920 | +21.1% |
| 1987 | 5,900 | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 4,420 | -25.1% |
| 1989 | 4,350 | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 2,550 | -41.4% |
| 1991 | 5,223 | +104.8% |
| 1992 | 6,012 | +15.1% |
| 1993 | 1,187 | -80.3% |
| 1994 | 1,359 | +14.5% |
| 1995 | 1,867 | +37.4% |
| 1996 | 2,408 | +29.0% |
| 1997 | 3,062 | +27.2% |
| 1998 | 3,684 | +20.3% |
| 1999 | 4,172 | +13.2% |
| 2000 | 2,672 | -36.0% |
| 2001 | 2,816 | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 2,826 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 2,519 | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 1,753 | -30.4% |
| 2005 | 1,078 | -38.5% |
| 2006 | 20,164 | +1770.5% |
| 2007 | 50,330 | +149.6% |
| 2008 | 50,413 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 50,398 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 8,045 | -84.0% |
| 2011 | 8,971 | +11.5% |
| 2012 | 133,913 | +1392.7% |
| 2013 | 856,539 | +539.6% |
| 2014 | 1.15 million | +34.7% |
| 2015 | 1.07 million | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 1.01 million | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 998,876 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 949,653 | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 916,141 | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 870,388 | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 845,865 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 818,861 | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 788,472 | -3.7% |
| 2024 | 758,642 | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 535,168 | -29.5% |
Lebanon compared with similar countries
- Lebanon's 535,168 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11,476, 46.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Lebanon's 535,168 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 15,377, 34.8× 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 Lebanon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +1770.5% | 1,078 | 20,164 |
| 2012 | +1392.7% | 8,971 | 133,913 |
| 2013 | +539.6% | 133,913 | 856,539 |
| 1966 | +501.8% | 570 | 3,430 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,388 | 0 | 4,510 | 6 |
| 1970s | 141,812 | 0 | 700,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,232 | 2,800 | 5,920 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,152 | 1,187 | 6,012 | 10 |
| 2000s | 18,497 | 1,078 | 50,413 | 10 |
| 2010s | 710,997 | 8,045 | 1.15 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 769,566 | 535,168 | 870,388 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
- 13 South Sudan 601,818 compare
- 14 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 581,072 compare
- 15 Libya 552,523 compare
- 17 Spain 511,079 compare
- 18 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 503,732 compare
- 19 United States of America 457,647 compare
More social development data for Lebanon
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,568 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (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 9,568 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0915 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -29.46 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lebanon?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Lebanon was 535,168 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 Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 1.15 million in 2014.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1967.
- How does Lebanon rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Lebanon ranks 16th 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 Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lebanon 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.