Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Asia
South Asia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 238,179 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Asia, 1985–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Asia is 238,179, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 39.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Asia peaked at 284,321 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 160, in 1985.
That places South Asia 36th out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 160 | — |
| 1986 | 315 | +96.9% |
| 1987 | 219 | -30.5% |
| 1988 | 3,403 | +1453.9% |
| 1989 | 7,710 | +126.6% |
| 1990 | 208,945 | +2610.1% |
| 1991 | 219,872 | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 258,499 | +17.6% |
| 1993 | 235,816 | -8.8% |
| 1994 | 277,191 | +17.5% |
| 1995 | 274,329 | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 281,948 | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 284,321 | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 235,078 | -17.3% |
| 1999 | 238,811 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 250,127 | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 250,662 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 266,816 | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 246,480 | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 239,791 | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 240,320 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 253,276 | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 279,607 | +10.4% |
| 2008 | 276,555 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 269,815 | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 249,837 | -7.4% |
| 2011 | 227,721 | -8.9% |
| 2012 | 206,329 | -9.4% |
| 2013 | 183,510 | -11.1% |
| 2014 | 175,497 | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 170,262 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 158,781 | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 156,771 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 160,327 | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 159,842 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 188,312 | +17.8% |
| 2021 | 201,825 | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 207,006 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 208,739 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 230,158 | +10.3% |
| 2025 | 238,179 | +3.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in South Asia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +2610.1% | 7,710 | 208,945 |
| 1988 | +1453.9% | 219 | 3,403 |
| 1989 | +126.6% | 3,403 | 7,710 |
| 1986 | +96.9% | 160 | 315 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,361 | 160 | 7,710 | 5 |
| 1990s | 251,481 | 208,945 | 284,321 | 10 |
| 2000s | 257,345 | 239,791 | 279,607 | 10 |
| 2010s | 184,888 | 156,771 | 249,837 | 10 |
| 2020s | 212,370 | 188,312 | 238,179 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More social development data for South Asia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.44 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 238,179 (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 0.0008 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 13.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.44 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3.48 % 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 0.3719 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Asia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in South Asia was 238,179 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 284,321 in 1997.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 160 in 1985.
- How does South Asia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- South Asia ranks 36th 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 South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.