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

Low income: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 17.84 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
17.84 million
Change on year
down 13.8%
Rank
5th
of 44 groups
All-time high
20.83 million
in 2023
All-time low
147,000
in 1961
Years of data
65
1961–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low income, 1961–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M196119932025

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low income stood at 17.84 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.8% on the previous year and up 44.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low income peaked at 20.83 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 147,000, in 1961.

That places Low income 5th 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 income, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Low income, 1961 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1961 147,000
1962 147,000 +0.0%
1963 173,000 +17.7%
1964 285,300 +64.9%
1965 354,460 +24.2%
1966 431,650 +21.8%
1967 475,580 +10.2%
1968 525,760 +10.6%
1969 513,170 -2.4%
1970 549,890 +7.2%
1971 553,690 +0.7%
1972 647,810 +17.0%
1973 554,570 -14.4%
1974 573,600 +3.4%
1975 573,200 -0.1%
1976 530,040 -7.5%
1977 1.27 million +139.4%
1978 1.40 million +10.6%
1979 2.65 million +89.2%
1980 5.35 million +101.7%
1981 6.25 million +16.7%
1982 6.76 million +8.1%
1983 7.09 million +4.9%
1984 7.31 million +3.2%
1985 7.85 million +7.3%
1986 8.15 million +3.9%
1987 8.89 million +9.1%
1988 9.61 million +8.1%
1989 9.88 million +2.8%
1990 11.53 million +16.7%
1991 10.98 million -4.8%
1992 9.57 million -12.8%
1993 8.98 million -6.1%
1994 8.90 million -1.0%
1995 7.84 million -11.9%
1996 6.63 million -15.5%
1997 5.81 million -12.3%
1998 5.64 million -3.0%
1999 5.77 million +2.3%
2000 6.83 million +18.3%
2001 6.71 million -1.7%
2002 5.46 million -18.7%
2003 4.97 million -9.0%
2004 5.26 million +5.9%
2005 4.85 million -7.7%
2006 4.77 million -1.8%
2007 5.46 million +14.4%
2008 5.11 million -6.4%
2009 5.22 million +2.3%
2010 5.52 million +5.6%
2011 5.58 million +1.2%
2012 6.55 million +17.3%
2013 8.45 million +29.0%
2014 10.63 million +25.8%
2015 12.38 million +16.4%
2016 13.61 million +10.0%
2017 15.72 million +15.5%
2018 16.09 million +2.4%
2019 16.12 million +0.2%
2020 16.14 million +0.1%
2021 16.71 million +3.6%
2022 19.42 million +16.2%
2023 20.83 million +7.3%
2024 20.69 million -0.7%
2025 17.84 million -13.8%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low 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
1977 +139.4% 530,040 1.27 million
1980 +101.7% 2.65 million 5.35 million
1979 +89.2% 1.40 million 2.65 million
1964 +64.9% 173,000 285,300

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 339,213 147,000 525,760 9
1970s 930,814 530,040 2.65 million 10
1980s 7.71 million 5.35 million 9.88 million 10
1990s 8.17 million 5.64 million 11.53 million 10
2000s 5.46 million 4.77 million 6.83 million 10
2010s 11.07 million 5.52 million 16.12 million 10
2020s 18.60 million 16.14 million 20.83 million 6

Countries ranked near Low income

  1. 2 Syrian Arab Republic 4.87 million compare
  2. 3 Sudan 2.82 million compare
  3. 4 Afghanistan 2.67 million compare
  4. 5 South Sudan 2.39 million compare
  5. 6 Myanmar 1.52 million compare
  6. 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.18 million compare
  7. 8 Somalia 892,037 compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More social development data for Low income

All data for Low income →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low income?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Low income was 17.84 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 income?
The highest recorded value was 20.83 million in 2023.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Low income?
The lowest recorded value was 147,000 in 1961.
How does Low income rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Low income ranks 5th 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 income?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Low 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.

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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Low income. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-gaps-filled/low-income/

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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

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

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
246 places, 10,260 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.