Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Myanmar
Myanmar: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 1.52 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Myanmar, 1972–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar stood at 1.52 million. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
The figure is up 15.3% on the previous year and up 237.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar peaked at 1.52 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1979.
Myanmar ranks 6th of 199 countries on this measure, 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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5,700 | — |
| 1978 | 160,000 | +2707.0% |
| 1979 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1988 | 7 | — |
| 1989 | 15.5 | +121.4% |
| 1990 | 24 | +54.8% |
| 1991 | 40,052 | +166783.3% |
| 1992 | 245,127 | +512.0% |
| 1993 | 281,571 | +14.9% |
| 1994 | 204,512 | -27.4% |
| 1995 | 152,301 | -25.5% |
| 1996 | 143,019 | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 135,771 | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 133,408 | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 131,661 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 137,121 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 145,849 | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 148,493 | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 151,370 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 160,997 | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 164,851 | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 202,817 | +23.0% |
| 2007 | 191,308 | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 184,410 | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 406,667 | +120.5% |
| 2010 | 415,662 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 414,615 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 415,363 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 479,594 | +15.5% |
| 2014 | 479,006 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 451,804 | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 490,285 | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 1.16 million | +135.9% |
| 2018 | 1.15 million | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.08 million | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 1.10 million | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.18 million | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 1.25 million | +6.3% |
| 2023 | 1.28 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 1.32 million | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 1.52 million | +15.3% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 1.52 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,568, 159.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 1.52 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95, 16046.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Myanmar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +166783.3% | 24 | 40,052 |
| 1978 | +2707.0% | 5,700 | 160,000 |
| 1992 | +512.0% | 40,052 | 245,127 |
| 2017 | +135.9% | 490,285 | 1.16 million |
| 1989 | +121.4% | 7 | 15.5 |
| 2009 | +120.5% | 184,410 | 406,667 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55,233 | 0 | 160,000 | 3 |
| 1980s | 11.25 | 7 | 15.5 | 2 |
| 1990s | 146,745 | 24 | 281,571 | 10 |
| 2000s | 189,388 | 137,121 | 406,667 | 10 |
| 2010s | 652,505 | 414,615 | 1.16 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.28 million | 1.10 million | 1.52 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 3 Sudan 2.82 million compare
- 4 Afghanistan 2.67 million compare
- 5 South Sudan 2.39 million compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.18 million compare
- 8 Somalia 892,037 compare
- 9 Central African Republic 674,222 compare
More social development data for Myanmar
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.52 million (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 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.102 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar was 1.52 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 1.52 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1979.
- How does Myanmar rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Myanmar ranks 6th 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 Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 237.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Myanmar 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 — 41 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.