Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malaysia
Malaysia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 150,164 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Malaysia, 1977–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 150,164 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia peaked at 150,164 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 145, in 1993.
Malaysia ranks 40th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 96,000 | — |
| 1978 | 141,580 | +47.5% |
| 1979 | 124,880 | -11.8% |
| 1980 | 104,040 | -16.7% |
| 1981 | 103,250 | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 99,240 | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 110,700 | +11.5% |
| 1984 | 109,060 | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 105,310 | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 99,000 | -6.0% |
| 1987 | 99,420 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 104,553 | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 110,482 | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 14,862 | -86.5% |
| 1991 | 13,947 | -6.2% |
| 1992 | 11,399 | -18.3% |
| 1993 | 145 | -98.7% |
| 1994 | 5,298 | +3553.8% |
| 1995 | 5,279 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 5,305 | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 5,277 | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 50,603 | +858.9% |
| 1999 | 50,509 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 50,477 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 50,456 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 50,614 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 7,422 | -85.3% |
| 2004 | 24,900 | +235.5% |
| 2005 | 33,684 | +35.3% |
| 2006 | 37,158 | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 32,657 | -12.1% |
| 2008 | 36,668 | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 66,126 | +80.3% |
| 2010 | 81,518 | +23.3% |
| 2011 | 86,676 | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 90,173 | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 97,502 | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 99,362 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 94,158 | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 92,256 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 103,837 | +12.6% |
| 2018 | 121,305 | +16.8% |
| 2019 | 129,102 | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 129,902 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 132,086 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 134,554 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 135,872 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 138,417 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 150,164 | +8.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 150,164 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 32.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 150,164 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 155, 968.8× 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 Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +3553.8% | 145 | 5,298 |
| 1998 | +858.9% | 5,277 | 50,603 |
| 2004 | +235.5% | 7,422 | 24,900 |
| 1993 | -98.7% | 11,399 | 145 |
| 1990 | -86.5% | 110,482 | 14,862 |
| 2003 | -85.3% | 50,614 | 7,422 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 120,820 | 96,000 | 141,580 | 3 |
| 1980s | 104,506 | 99,000 | 110,700 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,262 | 145 | 50,603 | 10 |
| 2000s | 39,016 | 7,422 | 66,126 | 10 |
| 2010s | 99,589 | 81,518 | 129,102 | 10 |
| 2020s | 136,832 | 129,902 | 150,164 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More social development data for Malaysia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0042 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 8.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Malaysia was 150,164 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 150,164 in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 145 in 1993.
- How does Malaysia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Malaysia ranks 40th 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 Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 49 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.