Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Arab World
Arab World: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 9.09 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Arab World, 1963–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Arab World recorded 9.09 million for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and up 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Arab World peaked at 9.47 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10,910, in 1977.
Arab World ranks 14th of 47 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 Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 13,000 | — |
| 1964 | 20,300 | +56.2% |
| 1965 | 81,560 | +301.8% |
| 1966 | 115,000 | +41.0% |
| 1967 | 120,990 | +5.2% |
| 1968 | 179,400 | +48.3% |
| 1969 | 174,300 | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 172,960 | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 171,330 | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 128,450 | -25.0% |
| 1973 | 13,050 | -89.8% |
| 1974 | 11,770 | -9.8% |
| 1975 | 11,110 | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 13,850 | +24.7% |
| 1977 | 10,910 | -21.2% |
| 1978 | 26,550 | +143.4% |
| 1979 | 57,440 | +116.3% |
| 1980 | 57,787 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 72,714 | +25.8% |
| 1982 | 132,398 | +82.1% |
| 1983 | 171,957 | +29.9% |
| 1984 | 313,325 | +82.2% |
| 1985 | 652,017 | +108.1% |
| 1986 | 690,838 | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 796,440 | +15.3% |
| 1988 | 1.29 million | +62.2% |
| 1989 | 1.44 million | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 2.21 million | +53.2% |
| 1991 | 2.41 million | +8.9% |
| 1992 | 2.61 million | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 1.91 million | -27.1% |
| 1994 | 2.00 million | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 2.01 million | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 2.04 million | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 1.86 million | -8.4% |
| 1998 | 1.81 million | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 1.82 million | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 1.67 million | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 1.87 million | +12.0% |
| 2002 | 1.90 million | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 1.83 million | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 1.88 million | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 1.80 million | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 3.02 million | +68.2% |
| 2007 | 3.72 million | +23.1% |
| 2008 | 3.33 million | -10.6% |
| 2009 | 3.03 million | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 3.03 million | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 3.21 million | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 3.36 million | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 4.80 million | +43.0% |
| 2014 | 6.20 million | +29.1% |
| 2015 | 7.08 million | +14.1% |
| 2016 | 7.70 million | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 8.57 million | +11.2% |
| 2018 | 8.93 million | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 8.83 million | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 8.88 million | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 9.05 million | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 8.73 million | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 9.23 million | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 9.47 million | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 9.09 million | -4.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Arab World 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | +301.8% | 20,300 | 81,560 |
| 1978 | +143.4% | 10,910 | 26,550 |
| 1979 | +116.3% | 26,550 | 57,440 |
| 1985 | +108.1% | 313,325 | 652,017 |
| 1973 | -89.8% | 128,450 | 13,050 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 100,650 | 13,000 | 179,400 | 7 |
| 1970s | 61,742 | 10,910 | 172,960 | 10 |
| 1980s | 562,305 | 57,787 | 1.44 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.07 million | 1.81 million | 2.61 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.41 million | 1.67 million | 3.72 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.17 million | 3.03 million | 8.93 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.08 million | 8.73 million | 9.47 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More social development data for Arab World
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3.48 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0181 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9.09 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0069 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 2.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3.48 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -4.01 % 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 0.2488 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Arab World?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Arab World was 9.09 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 9.47 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,910 in 1977.
- How does Arab World rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Arab World ranks 14th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.