Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 533 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria, 1969–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria stood at 533.
The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and down 57.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria peaked at 4,692 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 90, in 1969.
Bulgaria ranks 117th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 90 | — |
| 1970 | 320 | +255.6% |
| 1971 | 340 | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 340 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 340 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 300 | -11.8% |
| 1975 | 300 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 296.67 | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 293.33 | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 290 | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 309.5 | +6.7% |
| 1980 | 329 | +6.3% |
| 1981 | 274 | -16.7% |
| 1982 | 257 | -6.2% |
| 1983 | 227 | -11.7% |
| 1984 | 183 | -19.4% |
| 1985 | 190 | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 160 | -15.8% |
| 1987 | 138 | -13.8% |
| 1988 | 898 | +550.7% |
| 1989 | 869 | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 1,922 | +121.2% |
| 1991 | 2,733 | +42.2% |
| 1992 | 2,980 | +9.0% |
| 1993 | 3,157 | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 4,692 | +48.6% |
| 1995 | 4,157 | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 3,246 | -21.9% |
| 1997 | 3,049 | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 3,121 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 2,652 | -15.0% |
| 2000 | 2,404 | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 2,122 | -11.7% |
| 2002 | 2,843 | +34.0% |
| 2003 | 2,565 | -9.8% |
| 2004 | 2,227 | -13.2% |
| 2005 | 4,250 | +90.8% |
| 2006 | 3,431 | -19.3% |
| 2007 | 3,306 | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 3,036 | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 2,743 | -9.7% |
| 2010 | 2,558 | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 2,322 | -9.2% |
| 2012 | 2,143 | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 1,875 | -12.5% |
| 2014 | 1,644 | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 1,264 | -23.1% |
| 2016 | 799 | -36.8% |
| 2017 | 716 | -10.4% |
| 2018 | 620 | -13.4% |
| 2019 | 566 | -8.7% |
| 2020 | 510 | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 455 | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 790 | +73.6% |
| 2023 | 393 | -50.3% |
| 2024 | 498 | +26.7% |
| 2025 | 533 | +7.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 533 is above the median for high income countries, which is 111, 4.8× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 533 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 517, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +550.7% | 138 | 898 |
| 1970 | +255.6% | 90 | 320 |
| 1990 | +121.2% | 869 | 1,922 |
| 2005 | +90.8% | 2,227 | 4,250 |
| 2022 | +73.6% | 455 | 790 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 90 | 90 | 90 | 1 |
| 1970s | 312.95 | 290 | 340 | 10 |
| 1980s | 352.5 | 138 | 898 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,171 | 1,922 | 4,692 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,893 | 2,122 | 4,250 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,451 | 566 | 2,558 | 10 |
| 2020s | 529.83 | 393 | 790 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 114 Trinidad and Tobago 576 compare
- 115 Malawi 551 compare
- 116 Argentina 542 compare
- 118 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 517 compare
- 119 Equatorial Guinea 424 compare
- 120 Botswana 384 compare
More social development data for Bulgaria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 105,596 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 0.0164 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 -2.9 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria was 533 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 4,692 in 1994.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 90 in 1969.
- How does Bulgaria rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Bulgaria ranks 117th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin with 148 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.