Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 8.24 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
8.24 million
Change on year
down 33.8%
Rank
17th
of 44 groups
All-time high
13.50 million
in 2023
All-time low
0
in 1977
Years of data
52
1968–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1968–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M196819962025

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 8.24 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.8% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 13.50 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1977.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 17th of 44 groups 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin, gaps filled in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1968 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1968 3,900
1969 3,900 +0.0%
1976 3,200 -17.9%
1977 0 -100.0%
1978 15,610
1979 546,500 +3401.0%
1980 1.78 million +226.0%
1981 3.95 million +121.6%
1982 4.62 million +17.0%
1983 4.86 million +5.2%
1984 4.56 million -6.3%
1985 5.21 million +14.4%
1986 5.74 million +10.1%
1987 6.01 million +4.7%
1988 6.27 million +4.5%
1989 6.29 million +0.3%
1990 7.57 million +20.2%
1991 7.84 million +3.6%
1992 6.14 million -21.7%
1993 4.36 million -28.9%
1994 3.75 million -14.0%
1995 3.63 million -3.2%
1996 3.62 million -0.2%
1997 3.60 million -0.8%
1998 3.55 million -1.3%
1999 3.47 million -2.2%
2000 4.36 million +25.5%
2001 4.83 million +10.8%
2002 3.60 million -25.5%
2003 3.07 million -14.5%
2004 3.28 million +6.8%
2005 2.97 million -9.5%
2006 4.07 million +37.1%
2007 5.87 million +44.0%
2008 5.23 million -10.8%
2009 4.94 million -5.7%
2010 5.00 million +1.3%
2011 4.36 million -12.8%
2012 4.33 million -0.7%
2013 5.68 million +31.2%
2014 7.41 million +30.4%
2015 8.34 million +12.6%
2016 8.70 million +4.4%
2017 9.72 million +11.7%
2018 10.16 million +4.5%
2019 10.14 million -0.2%
2020 10.10 million -0.5%
2021 10.39 million +2.9%
2022 12.96 million +24.7%
2023 13.50 million +4.1%
2024 12.44 million -7.8%
2025 8.24 million -33.8%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high 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
1979 +3401.0% 15,610 546,500
1980 +226.0% 546,500 1.78 million
1981 +121.6% 1.78 million 3.95 million
1977 -100.0% 3,200 0

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 3,900 3,900 3,900 2
1970s 141,328 0 546,500 4
1980s 4.93 million 1.78 million 6.29 million 10
1990s 4.75 million 3.47 million 7.84 million 10
2000s 4.22 million 2.97 million 5.87 million 10
2010s 7.38 million 4.33 million 10.16 million 10
2020s 11.27 million 8.24 million 13.50 million 6

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

  1. 14 Burkina Faso 351,209 compare
  2. 15 Burundi 318,291 compare
  3. 16 Iraq 270,671 compare
  4. 17 Rwanda 244,415 compare
  5. 18 Haiti 180,702 compare
  6. 19 Ethiopia 164,215 compare
  7. 20 Iran 157,912 compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More social development data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 8.24 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 13.50 million in 2023.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1977.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 17th 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-gaps-filled/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-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.