Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 533 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria, 1969–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 533 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and down 57.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria peaked at 4,692 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 90, in 1969.
That places Bulgaria 117th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 90 | — |
| 1970 | 320 | +255.6% |
| 1971 | 340 | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 340 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 340 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 300 | -11.8% |
| 1975 | 300 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 290 | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 329 | +13.4% |
| 1981 | 274 | -16.7% |
| 1982 | 257 | -6.2% |
| 1983 | 227 | -11.7% |
| 1984 | 183 | -19.4% |
| 1985 | 190 | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 160 | -15.8% |
| 1987 | 138 | -13.8% |
| 1988 | 898 | +550.7% |
| 1989 | 869 | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 1,922 | +121.2% |
| 1991 | 2,733 | +42.2% |
| 1992 | 2,980 | +9.0% |
| 1993 | 3,157 | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 4,692 | +48.6% |
| 1995 | 4,157 | -11.4% |
| 1996 | 3,246 | -21.9% |
| 1997 | 3,049 | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 3,121 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 2,652 | -15.0% |
| 2000 | 2,404 | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 2,122 | -11.7% |
| 2002 | 2,843 | +34.0% |
| 2003 | 2,565 | -9.8% |
| 2004 | 2,227 | -13.2% |
| 2005 | 4,250 | +90.8% |
| 2006 | 3,431 | -19.3% |
| 2007 | 3,306 | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 3,036 | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 2,743 | -9.7% |
| 2010 | 2,558 | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 2,322 | -9.2% |
| 2012 | 2,143 | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 1,875 | -12.5% |
| 2014 | 1,644 | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 1,264 | -23.1% |
| 2016 | 799 | -36.8% |
| 2017 | 716 | -10.4% |
| 2018 | 620 | -13.4% |
| 2019 | 566 | -8.7% |
| 2020 | 510 | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 455 | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 790 | +73.6% |
| 2023 | 393 | -50.3% |
| 2024 | 498 | +26.7% |
| 2025 | 533 | +7.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 533 is above the median for high income countries, which is 111, 4.8× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 533 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 517, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Bulgaria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +550.7% | 138 | 898 |
| 1970 | +255.6% | 90 | 320 |
| 1990 | +121.2% | 869 | 1,922 |
| 2005 | +90.8% | 2,227 | 4,250 |
| 2022 | +73.6% | 455 | 790 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 90 | 90 | 90 | 1 |
| 1970s | 318.57 | 290 | 340 | 7 |
| 1980s | 352.5 | 138 | 898 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,171 | 1,922 | 4,692 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,893 | 2,122 | 4,250 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,451 | 566 | 2,558 | 10 |
| 2020s | 529.83 | 393 | 790 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 114 Trinidad and Tobago 576 compare
- 115 Malawi 551 compare
- 116 Argentina 542 compare
- 118 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 517 compare
- 119 Equatorial Guinea 424 compare
- 120 Botswana 384 compare
More social development data for Bulgaria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 105,596 (2025)
- 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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 533 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0164 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 -2.9 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Bulgaria was 533 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 4,692 in 1994.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 90 in 1969.
- How does Bulgaria rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Bulgaria ranks 117th 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 Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.