Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in El Salvador
El Salvador: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 68,182 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in El Salvador, 1980–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 68,182 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.0% on the previous year and up 361.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in El Salvador peaked at 304,810 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 4,283, in 2005.
That places El Salvador 31st out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 91,630 | — |
| 1981 | 304,810 | +232.7% |
| 1982 | 242,400 | -20.5% |
| 1983 | 244,600 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 243,000 | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 180,605 | -25.7% |
| 1986 | 171,785 | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 167,605 | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 166,393 | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 39,582 | -76.2% |
| 1990 | 30,019 | -24.2% |
| 1991 | 33,048 | +10.1% |
| 1992 | 30,854 | -6.6% |
| 1993 | 26,125 | -15.3% |
| 1994 | 30,736 | +17.6% |
| 1995 | 23,534 | -23.4% |
| 1996 | 19,639 | -16.6% |
| 1997 | 17,124 | -12.8% |
| 1998 | 12,591 | -26.5% |
| 1999 | 12,408 | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 7,753 | -37.5% |
| 2001 | 7,147 | -7.8% |
| 2002 | 6,630 | -7.2% |
| 2003 | 5,658 | -14.7% |
| 2004 | 4,497 | -20.5% |
| 2005 | 4,283 | -4.8% |
| 2006 | 6,390 | +49.2% |
| 2007 | 6,026 | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 5,154 | -14.5% |
| 2009 | 5,053 | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 4,978 | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 6,725 | +35.1% |
| 2012 | 8,173 | +21.5% |
| 2013 | 9,634 | +17.9% |
| 2014 | 10,968 | +13.8% |
| 2015 | 14,778 | +34.7% |
| 2016 | 19,617 | +32.7% |
| 2017 | 25,876 | +31.9% |
| 2018 | 32,562 | +25.8% |
| 2019 | 41,816 | +28.4% |
| 2020 | 45,640 | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 52,041 | +14.0% |
| 2022 | 58,621 | +12.6% |
| 2023 | 68,633 | +17.1% |
| 2024 | 71,765 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | 68,182 | -5.0% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 68,182 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,642, 25.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 68,182 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 559, 122.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in El Salvador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +232.7% | 91,630 | 304,810 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 185,241 | 39,582 | 304,810 | 10 |
| 1990s | 23,608 | 12,408 | 33,048 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,859 | 4,283 | 7,753 | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,513 | 4,978 | 41,816 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60,814 | 45,640 | 71,765 | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More social development data for El Salvador
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 182 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 5 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0107 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 68,182 (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 51.67 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in El Salvador?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in El Salvador was 68,182 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 304,810 in 1981.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,283 in 2005.
- How does El Salvador rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- El Salvador ranks 31st 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 El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 361.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.
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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.