Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bhutan
Bhutan: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 7,257 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bhutan, 1991–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bhutan stood at 7,257.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 59.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bhutan peaked at 112,524 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 6,676, in 2023.
Bhutan ranks 69th of 199 countries 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 Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9,504 | — |
| 1992 | 75,442 | +693.8% |
| 1993 | 85,334 | +13.1% |
| 1994 | 103,270 | +21.0% |
| 1995 | 104,746 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 106,820 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 108,702 | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 105,690 | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 107,619 | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 108,943 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 110,844 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 112,524 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 103,977 | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 105,259 | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 106,539 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 108,069 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 110,593 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 104,960 | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 89,064 | -15.1% |
| 2010 | 75,062 | -15.7% |
| 2011 | 57,980 | -22.8% |
| 2012 | 41,582 | -28.3% |
| 2013 | 31,556 | -24.1% |
| 2014 | 23,633 | -25.1% |
| 2015 | 17,709 | -25.1% |
| 2016 | 11,757 | -33.6% |
| 2017 | 7,954 | -32.3% |
| 2018 | 7,100 | -10.7% |
| 2019 | 6,839 | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 6,741 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 6,702 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 6,688 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 6,676 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 7,433 | +11.3% |
| 2025 | 7,257 | -2.4% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 7,257 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,568, 76% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 7,257 is below the median for South Asia, which is 19,940, 36% of 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 Bhutan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +693.8% | 9,504 | 75,442 |
| 2016 | -33.6% | 17,709 | 11,757 |
| 2017 | -32.3% | 11,757 | 7,954 |
| 2012 | -28.3% | 57,980 | 41,582 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 89,681 | 9,504 | 108,702 | 9 |
| 2000s | 106,077 | 89,064 | 112,524 | 10 |
| 2010s | 28,117 | 6,839 | 75,062 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,916 | 6,676 | 7,433 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More social development data for Bhutan
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0091 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 7,257 (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 -2.37 % 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 0.701 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bhutan?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bhutan was 7,257 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 Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 112,524 in 2002.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,676 in 2023.
- How does Bhutan rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Bhutan ranks 69th 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 Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan 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
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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.