Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Myanmar
Myanmar: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 1.52 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Myanmar, 1972–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Myanmar recorded 1.52 million for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 15.3% on the previous year and up 237.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar peaked at 1.52 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1979.
Myanmar ranks 6th of 199 countries 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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5,700 | — |
| 1978 | 160,000 | +2707.0% |
| 1979 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1988 | 7 | — |
| 1990 | 24 | +242.9% |
| 1991 | 40,052 | +166783.3% |
| 1992 | 245,127 | +512.0% |
| 1993 | 281,571 | +14.9% |
| 1994 | 204,512 | -27.4% |
| 1995 | 152,301 | -25.5% |
| 1996 | 143,019 | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 135,771 | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 133,408 | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 131,661 | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 137,121 | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 145,849 | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 148,493 | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 151,370 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 160,997 | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 164,851 | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 202,817 | +23.0% |
| 2007 | 191,308 | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 184,410 | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 406,667 | +120.5% |
| 2010 | 415,662 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 414,615 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 415,363 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 479,594 | +15.5% |
| 2014 | 479,006 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 451,804 | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 490,285 | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 1.16 million | +135.9% |
| 2018 | 1.15 million | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.08 million | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 1.10 million | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.18 million | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 1.25 million | +6.3% |
| 2023 | 1.28 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 1.32 million | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 1.52 million | +15.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55,233 | 0 | 160,000 | 3 |
| 1980s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 1990s | 146,745 | 24 | 281,571 | 10 |
| 2000s | 189,388 | 137,121 | 406,667 | 10 |
| 2010s | 652,505 | 414,615 | 1.16 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.28 million | 1.10 million | 1.52 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 3 Sudan 2.82 million compare
- 4 Afghanistan 2.67 million compare
- 5 South Sudan 2.39 million compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.18 million compare
- 8 Somalia 892,037 compare
- 9 Central African Republic 674,222 compare
More social development data for Myanmar
- 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 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1.52 million (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 15.27 % 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 0.102 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Myanmar was 1.52 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 1.52 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1979.
- How does Myanmar rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Myanmar ranks 6th 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 Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 237.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.