Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 27.96 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & middle income, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income stood at 27.96 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.0% on the previous year and up 78.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income peaked at 31.18 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 150,000, in 1960.
That places Low & middle income 2nd out of 44 groups 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 Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 150,000 | — |
| 1961 | 302,000 | +101.3% |
| 1962 | 322,000 | +6.6% |
| 1963 | 353,000 | +9.6% |
| 1964 | 1.70 million | +381.7% |
| 1965 | 1.93 million | +13.5% |
| 1966 | 2.08 million | +8.1% |
| 1967 | 931,950 | -55.3% |
| 1968 | 1.08 million | +15.4% |
| 1969 | 1.05 million | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 1.08 million | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 1.17 million | +7.7% |
| 1972 | 1.23 million | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 1.02 million | -17.1% |
| 1974 | 1.09 million | +6.1% |
| 1975 | 1.56 million | +44.0% |
| 1976 | 1.75 million | +11.9% |
| 1977 | 2.28 million | +30.2% |
| 1978 | 3.16 million | +38.6% |
| 1979 | 4.32 million | +36.9% |
| 1980 | 6.79 million | +57.2% |
| 1981 | 7.84 million | +15.5% |
| 1982 | 8.40 million | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 8.57 million | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 8.86 million | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 9.74 million | +9.8% |
| 1986 | 10.04 million | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 10.67 million | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 11.80 million | +10.6% |
| 1989 | 11.93 million | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 14.38 million | +20.6% |
| 1991 | 14.15 million | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 14.05 million | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 13.38 million | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 13.30 million | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 11.99 million | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 11.19 million | -6.6% |
| 1997 | 10.15 million | -9.3% |
| 1998 | 9.67 million | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 9.84 million | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 10.42 million | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 10.47 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 9.68 million | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 8.70 million | -10.2% |
| 2004 | 8.66 million | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 8.07 million | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 9.21 million | +14.0% |
| 2007 | 10.82 million | +17.5% |
| 2008 | 9.92 million | -8.3% |
| 2009 | 9.85 million | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 10.03 million | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 9.91 million | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 10.02 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 11.29 million | +12.8% |
| 2014 | 13.99 million | +23.9% |
| 2015 | 15.70 million | +12.2% |
| 2016 | 16.76 million | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 19.45 million | +16.0% |
| 2018 | 19.85 million | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 19.93 million | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 20.20 million | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 20.93 million | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 29.05 million | +38.8% |
| 2023 | 31.18 million | +7.3% |
| 2024 | 30.40 million | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 27.96 million | -8.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low & 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +381.7% | 353,000 | 1.70 million |
| 1961 | +101.3% | 150,000 | 302,000 |
| 1967 | -55.3% | 2.08 million | 931,950 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 989,646 | 150,000 | 2.08 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.87 million | 1.02 million | 4.32 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.46 million | 6.79 million | 11.93 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.21 million | 9.67 million | 14.38 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.58 million | 8.07 million | 10.82 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.69 million | 9.91 million | 19.93 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.62 million | 20.20 million | 31.18 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
- 1 Ukraine 5.22 million compare
- 2 Syrian Arab Republic 4.87 million compare
- 3 Sudan 2.82 million compare
- 4 Afghanistan 2.67 million compare
- 5 South Sudan 2.39 million compare
More social development data for Low & middle income
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 18.78 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 27.96 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0041 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0028 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 -12.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 18.78 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -8.01 % change on previous year (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 0.2771 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low & middle income was 27.96 million in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 31.18 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 150,000 in 1960.
- How does Low & middle income rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Low & middle income ranks 2nd out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 78.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Low & middle income 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
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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.