Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in IDA total
IDA total: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 20.81 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in IDA total, 1961–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
IDA total recorded 20.81 million for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is down 10.9% on the previous year and up 51.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in IDA total peaked at 23.37 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 152,000, in 1961.
IDA total ranks 4th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 IDA total, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 152,000 | — |
| 1962 | 152,000 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 178,000 | +17.1% |
| 1964 | 290,300 | +63.1% |
| 1965 | 359,460 | +23.8% |
| 1966 | 431,950 | +20.2% |
| 1967 | 476,810 | +10.4% |
| 1968 | 592,620 | +24.3% |
| 1969 | 529,420 | -10.7% |
| 1970 | 559,290 | +5.6% |
| 1971 | 611,800 | +9.4% |
| 1972 | 709,260 | +15.9% |
| 1973 | 590,320 | -16.8% |
| 1974 | 579,030 | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 963,520 | +66.4% |
| 1976 | 1.14 million | +18.5% |
| 1977 | 1.51 million | +31.8% |
| 1978 | 2.16 million | +43.2% |
| 1979 | 3.05 million | +41.6% |
| 1980 | 5.66 million | +85.3% |
| 1981 | 6.49 million | +14.6% |
| 1982 | 6.99 million | +7.7% |
| 1983 | 7.30 million | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 7.52 million | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 8.08 million | +7.5% |
| 1986 | 8.38 million | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 9.10 million | +8.6% |
| 1988 | 9.95 million | +9.3% |
| 1989 | 10.27 million | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 12.13 million | +18.0% |
| 1991 | 11.57 million | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 10.41 million | -10.0% |
| 1993 | 10.08 million | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 9.87 million | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 8.73 million | -11.6% |
| 1996 | 7.58 million | -13.2% |
| 1997 | 6.73 million | -11.2% |
| 1998 | 6.40 million | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 6.59 million | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 7.57 million | +14.8% |
| 2001 | 7.40 million | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 6.20 million | -16.2% |
| 2003 | 5.67 million | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 5.96 million | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 5.61 million | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 5.50 million | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 6.18 million | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 5.84 million | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 6.19 million | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 6.51 million | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 6.67 million | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 7.57 million | +13.5% |
| 2013 | 9.50 million | +25.4% |
| 2014 | 12.01 million | +26.5% |
| 2015 | 13.76 million | +14.6% |
| 2016 | 14.86 million | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 17.67 million | +18.9% |
| 2018 | 18.11 million | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 18.11 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 18.25 million | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 19.03 million | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 21.82 million | +14.6% |
| 2023 | 23.35 million | +7.0% |
| 2024 | 23.37 million | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 20.81 million | -10.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 351,396 | 152,000 | 592,620 | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.19 million | 559,290 | 3.05 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.97 million | 5.66 million | 10.27 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.01 million | 6.40 million | 12.13 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.21 million | 5.50 million | 7.57 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.48 million | 6.51 million | 18.11 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.11 million | 18.25 million | 23.37 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near IDA total
- 1 Ukraine 5.22 million compare
- 2 Syrian Arab Republic 4.87 million compare
- 3 Sudan 2.82 million compare
- 4 Afghanistan 2.67 million compare
- 5 South Sudan 2.39 million compare
- 6 Myanmar 1.52 million compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.18 million compare
More social development data for IDA total
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0105 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20.81 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.006 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 6.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 11.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -10.93 % 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 0.4312 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in IDA total?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in IDA total was 20.81 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 IDA total?
- The highest recorded value was 23.37 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in IDA total?
- The lowest recorded value was 152,000 in 1961.
- How does IDA total rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- IDA total ranks 4th 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 IDA total?
- Over the last ten years it is up 51.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this IDA total 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.