Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population in Vietnam
Vietnam: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population was 13 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Vietnam, 1971–2025
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 Vietnam stood at 13.
That represents a change of down 31.6% on the previous year.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Vietnam peaked at 150,000 in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2012.
That places Vietnam 159th out of 179 countries 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 … asylum Refugee Population in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 57,000 | — |
| 1972 | 55,000 | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 35,000 | -36.4% |
| 1977 | 60,000 | +71.4% |
| 1978 | 150,000 | +150.0% |
| 1979 | 35,000 | -76.7% |
| 1980 | 33,000 | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 30,000 | -9.1% |
| 1982 | 25,960 | -13.5% |
| 1983 | 21,070 | -18.8% |
| 1984 | 21,000 | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 25,000 | +19.0% |
| 1986 | 27,200 | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 25,000 | -8.1% |
| 1988 | 27,000 | +8.0% |
| 1989 | 23,060 | -14.6% |
| 1990 | 21,150 | -8.3% |
| 1991 | 20,148 | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 16,263 | -19.3% |
| 1993 | 5,084 | -68.7% |
| 1994 | 5,000 | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 34,400 | +588.0% |
| 1996 | 34,400 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 15,000 | -56.4% |
| 1998 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 15,945 | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 15,945 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 15,945 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 15,360 | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 2,360 | -84.6% |
| 2005 | 2,357 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 2,357 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2,357 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2,357 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2,357 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1,928 | -18.2% |
| 2011 | 990 | -48.7% |
| 2012 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2013 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 19 | — |
| 2024 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 13 | -31.6% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 13 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,647, 0% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 13 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 155, 8% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR … asylum Refugee Population in Vietnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +588.0% | 5,000 | 34,400 |
| 1978 | +150.0% | 60,000 | 150,000 |
| 2012 | -100.0% | 990 | 0 |
| 2004 | -84.6% | 15,360 | 2,360 |
| 1977 | +71.4% | 35,000 | 60,000 |
| 1979 | -76.7% | 150,000 | 35,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 65,333 | 35,000 | 150,000 | 6 |
| 1980s | 25,829 | 21,000 | 33,000 | 10 |
| 1990s | 18,144 | 5,000 | 34,400 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,734 | 2,357 | 15,945 | 10 |
| 2010s | 291.8 | 0 | 1,928 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.5 | 0 | 19 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More social development data for Vietnam
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,636 (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 0.0002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20,636 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 -31.58 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Vietnam?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Vietnam was 13 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 Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 150,000 in 1978.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2012.
- How does Vietnam rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Vietnam ranks 159th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Where does this Vietnam 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.