Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 148,369 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Sri Lanka, 1985–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sri Lanka is 148,369, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sri Lanka peaked at 209,349 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 160, in 1985.
That places Sri Lanka 23rd out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 160 | — |
| 1986 | 315 | +96.9% |
| 1987 | 219 | -30.5% |
| 1988 | 3,388 | +1447.0% |
| 1989 | 7,692 | +127.0% |
| 1990 | 208,271 | +2607.6% |
| 1991 | 209,349 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 128,115 | -38.8% |
| 1993 | 91,837 | -28.3% |
| 1994 | 114,454 | +24.6% |
| 1995 | 107,587 | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 109,576 | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 122,277 | +11.6% |
| 1998 | 114,971 | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 116,698 | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 124,156 | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 122,414 | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 133,240 | +8.8% |
| 2003 | 122,005 | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 114,050 | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 108,132 | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 116,948 | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 134,945 | +15.4% |
| 2008 | 137,742 | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 145,711 | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 141,064 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 136,602 | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 132,720 | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 123,074 | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 121,991 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 121,427 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 117,472 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 115,632 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 113,955 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 110,341 | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 142,664 | +29.3% |
| 2021 | 151,112 | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 148,144 | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 145,319 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 147,033 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 148,369 | +0.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 148,369 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,642, 56.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 148,369 is above the median for South Asia, which is 19,940, 7.4× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Sri Lanka 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 | +2607.6% | 7,692 | 208,271 |
| 1988 | +1447.0% | 219 | 3,388 |
| 1989 | +127.0% | 3,388 | 7,692 |
| 1986 | +96.9% | 160 | 315 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,355 | 160 | 7,692 | 5 |
| 1990s | 132,314 | 91,837 | 209,349 | 10 |
| 2000s | 125,934 | 108,132 | 145,711 | 10 |
| 2010s | 123,428 | 110,341 | 141,064 | 10 |
| 2020s | 147,107 | 142,664 | 151,112 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 20 Iran, Islamic Republic of 157,912 compare
- 21 China 153,962 compare
- 22 Türkiye 149,405 compare
- 24 Cameroon 140,366 compare
- 25 Azerbaijan 130,983 compare
- 26 Russian Federation 99,360 compare
More social development data for Sri Lanka
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 213 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 148,369 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0068 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 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 -8.19 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sri Lanka?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Sri Lanka was 148,369 in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 209,349 in 1991.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 160 in 1985.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Sri Lanka ranks 23rd 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 Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.