Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 15 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Timor-Leste, 1999–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Timor-Leste recorded 15 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
That represents a change of up 200.0% on the previous year and down 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Timor-Leste peaked at 162,472 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2023.
That places Timor-Leste 174th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom 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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 162,472 | — |
| 2000 | 122,202 | -24.8% |
| 2001 | 73,042 | -40.2% |
| 2002 | 28,097 | -61.5% |
| 2003 | 127 | -99.5% |
| 2004 | 221 | +74.0% |
| 2005 | 251 | +13.6% |
| 2006 | 251 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | -97.6% |
| 2008 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 13 | +62.5% |
| 2015 | 19 | +46.2% |
| 2016 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 13 | -31.6% |
| 2018 | 12 | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 17 | +41.7% |
| 2020 | 11 | -35.3% |
| 2021 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 | -45.5% |
| 2023 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2024 | 5 | — |
| 2025 | 15 | +200.0% |
Timor-Leste compared with similar countries
- Timor-Leste's 15 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,568, 0% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Timor-Leste's 15 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95, 16% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 162,472 | 162,472 | 162,472 | 1 |
| 2000s | 22,421 | 6 | 122,202 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.5 | 8 | 19 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 | 0 | 15 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 171 Luxembourg 20 compare
- 171 Norway 20 compare
- 173 Samoa 17 compare
- 174 Cape Verde 15 compare
- 174 Cyprus 15 compare
- 174 Macau, China 15 compare
More social development data for Timor-Leste
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2015)
- 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 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 15 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Timor-Leste?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Timor-Leste was 15 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 162,472 in 1999.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2023.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Timor-Leste ranks 174th 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 Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.