Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 157,912 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1980–2025
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 Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 157,912.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 85.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 158,171 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48, in 1980.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 20th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 48 | — |
| 1981 | 803 | +1572.9% |
| 1982 | 2,480 | +208.8% |
| 1983 | 5,577 | +124.9% |
| 1984 | 5,244 | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 88,245 | +1582.8% |
| 1986 | 87,921 | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 10,992 | -87.5% |
| 1988 | 58,259 | +430.0% |
| 1989 | 52,798 | -9.4% |
| 1990 | 75,889 | +43.7% |
| 1991 | 130,366 | +71.8% |
| 1992 | 128,781 | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 115,516 | -10.3% |
| 1994 | 121,288 | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 112,360 | -7.4% |
| 1996 | 104,122 | -7.3% |
| 1997 | 93,986 | -9.7% |
| 1998 | 89,967 | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 86,845 | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 88,266 | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 92,490 | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 138,362 | +49.6% |
| 2003 | 122,530 | -11.4% |
| 2004 | 115,171 | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 99,430 | -13.7% |
| 2006 | 102,479 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 68,398 | -33.3% |
| 2008 | 69,051 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 72,771 | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 68,785 | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 72,366 | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 75,932 | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 75,061 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 82,202 | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 84,950 | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 94,102 | +10.8% |
| 2017 | 118,639 | +26.1% |
| 2018 | 129,941 | +9.5% |
| 2019 | 128,998 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 135,018 | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 142,994 | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 122,764 | -14.1% |
| 2023 | 151,757 | +23.6% |
| 2024 | 158,171 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 157,912 | -0.2% |
Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 157,912 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,642, 59.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Iran, Islamic Republic of's 157,912 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9,174, 17.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +1582.8% | 5,244 | 88,245 |
| 1981 | +1572.9% | 48 | 803 |
| 1988 | +430.0% | 10,992 | 58,259 |
| 1982 | +208.8% | 803 | 2,480 |
| 1983 | +124.9% | 2,480 | 5,577 |
| 1987 | -87.5% | 87,921 | 10,992 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31,237 | 48 | 88,245 | 10 |
| 1990s | 105,912 | 75,889 | 130,366 | 10 |
| 2000s | 96,895 | 68,398 | 138,362 | 10 |
| 2010s | 93,098 | 68,785 | 129,941 | 10 |
| 2020s | 144,769 | 122,764 | 158,171 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More social development data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 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 -77.92 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 157,912 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 158,171 in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 48 in 1980.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 20th 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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 — 46 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.