Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle income

Middle income: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 11.28 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
11.28 million
Change on year
down 23.3%
Rank
7th
of 47 groups
All-time high
15.35 million
in 2023
All-time low
5,900
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle income, 1960–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M196019922025

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 Middle income stood at 11.28 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 23.3% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle income peaked at 15.35 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5,900, in 1960.

Middle income ranks 7th of 47 groups 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 Middle income, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum in Middle income, 1960 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1960 5,900
1961 23,200 +293.2%
1962 25,200 +8.6%
1963 31,000 +23.0%
1964 129,080 +316.4%
1965 192,250 +48.9%
1966 208,220 +8.3%
1967 218,620 +5.0%
1968 280,650 +28.4%
1969 393,200 +40.1%
1970 385,845 -1.9%
1971 431,650 +11.9%
1972 534,890 +23.9%
1973 540,320 +1.0%
1974 548,070 +1.4%
1975 869,620 +58.7%
1976 1.77 million +103.2%
1977 1.73 million -2.0%
1978 1.31 million -24.5%
1979 1.70 million +29.8%
1980 3.29 million +93.6%
1981 5.77 million +75.5%
1982 6.17 million +6.9%
1983 6.45 million +4.6%
1984 6.13 million -5.0%
1985 6.79 million +10.8%
1986 7.29 million +7.4%
1987 7.72 million +5.9%
1988 8.57 million +11.1%
1989 8.63 million +0.7%
1990 10.75 million +24.6%
1991 11.14 million +3.6%
1992 11.01 million -1.1%
1993 9.33 million -15.3%
1994 8.47 million -9.3%
1995 8.33 million -1.5%
1996 7.70 million -7.7%
1997 7.34 million -4.6%
1998 7.26 million -1.1%
1999 7.44 million +2.4%
2000 8.08 million +8.6%
2001 7.91 million -2.1%
2002 6.28 million -20.6%
2003 5.59 million -11.0%
2004 5.62 million +0.5%
2005 4.93 million -12.3%
2006 5.03 million +2.2%
2007 6.36 million +26.4%
2008 5.90 million -7.3%
2009 6.01 million +1.8%
2010 6.17 million +2.7%
2011 5.96 million -3.3%
2012 6.09 million +2.2%
2013 7.74 million +27.1%
2014 9.22 million +19.0%
2015 10.28 million +11.6%
2016 10.33 million +0.5%
2017 11.63 million +12.6%
2018 11.83 million +1.7%
2019 11.66 million -1.4%
2020 11.76 million +0.9%
2021 11.96 million +1.7%
2022 14.61 million +22.1%
2023 15.35 million +5.1%
2024 14.71 million -4.2%
2025 11.28 million -23.3%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle 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.

YearChange FromTo
1964 +316.4% 31,000 129,080
1961 +293.2% 5,900 23,200
1976 +103.2% 869,620 1.77 million
1980 +93.6% 1.70 million 3.29 million
1981 +75.5% 3.29 million 5.77 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 150,732 5,900 393,200 10
1970s 981,640 385,845 1.77 million 10
1980s 6.68 million 3.29 million 8.63 million 10
1990s 8.88 million 7.26 million 11.14 million 10
2000s 6.17 million 4.93 million 8.08 million 10
2010s 9.09 million 5.96 million 11.83 million 10
2020s 13.28 million 11.28 million 15.35 million 6

Countries ranked near Middle income

  1. 4 Chad 1.50 million compare
  2. 5 Bangladesh 1.18 million compare
  3. 6 Pakistan 1.16 million compare
  4. 7 Ethiopia 1.01 million compare
  5. 8 Poland 990,469 compare
  6. 9 Sudan 809,816 compare
  7. 10 France 788,419 compare

See the full ranking of 226 places →

More social development data for Middle income

All data for Middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle income?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle income was 11.28 million 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 Middle income?
The highest recorded value was 15.35 million in 2023.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 5,900 in 1960.
How does Middle income rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Middle income ranks 7th 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 Middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle 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.

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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-asylum/middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
226 places, 10,431 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.