Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Upper middle income

Upper middle income: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 6.73 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
6.73 million
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
21st
of 47 groups
All-time high
7.50 million
in 2023
All-time low
3,160
in 1973
Years of data
62
1964–2025

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Upper middle income, 1964–2025

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M196419942025

Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Analysis

The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Upper middle income is 6.73 million, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 252.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Upper middle income peaked at 7.50 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3,160, in 1973.

That places Upper middle income 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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 Upper middle income, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin in Upper middle income, 1964 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1964 1.21 million
1965 1.35 million +11.5%
1966 1.35 million -0.0%
1967 99,010 -92.7%
1968 100,190 +1.2%
1969 109,510 +9.3%
1970 108,220 -1.2%
1971 131,950 +21.9%
1972 101,040 -23.4%
1973 3,160 -96.9%
1974 4,480 +41.8%
1975 93,970 +1997.5%
1976 96,180 +2.4%
1977 229,285 +138.4%
1978 318,320 +38.8%
1979 572,500 +79.9%
1980 627,955 +9.7%
1981 824,990 +31.4%
1982 854,111 +3.5%
1983 863,763 +1.1%
1984 880,291 +1.9%
1985 1.20 million +35.8%
1986 1.18 million -1.5%
1987 1.10 million -6.8%
1988 1.36 million +24.0%
1989 1.24 million -8.6%
1990 2.05 million +64.5%
1991 2.35 million +14.7%
1992 3.37 million +43.4%
1993 2.97 million -11.6%
1994 3.16 million +6.1%
1995 3.03 million -4.1%
1996 3.38 million +11.5%
1997 3.18 million -5.9%
1998 2.97 million -6.6%
1999 2.89 million -2.5%
2000 2.40 million -16.9%
2001 2.34 million -2.4%
2002 2.70 million +15.2%
2003 2.42 million -10.5%
2004 2.20 million -9.2%
2005 1.96 million -10.7%
2006 3.24 million +65.1%
2007 4.20 million +29.7%
2008 3.65 million -13.0%
2009 3.52 million -3.8%
2010 3.39 million -3.6%
2011 3.11 million -8.3%
2012 2.41 million -22.4%
2013 1.78 million -26.2%
2014 1.96 million +10.1%
2015 1.91 million -2.4%
2016 1.87 million -2.2%
2017 1.74 million -7.0%
2018 1.69 million -3.0%
2019 1.68 million -0.4%
2020 1.76 million +4.9%
2021 1.69 million -4.3%
2022 6.97 million +313.6%
2023 7.50 million +7.6%
2024 6.66 million -11.2%
2025 6.73 million +1.0%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Upper middle income 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.

YearChange FromTo
1975 +1997.5% 4,480 93,970
2022 +313.6% 1.69 million 6.97 million
1977 +138.4% 96,180 229,285
1973 -96.9% 101,040 3,160
1967 -92.7% 1.35 million 99,010

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 703,033 99,010 1.35 million 6
1970s 165,910 3,160 572,500 10
1980s 1.01 million 627,955 1.36 million 10
1990s 2.93 million 2.05 million 3.38 million 10
2000s 2.86 million 1.96 million 4.20 million 10
2010s 2.15 million 1.68 million 3.39 million 10
2020s 5.22 million 1.69 million 7.50 million 6

Countries ranked near Upper middle income

  1. 18 Haiti 180,702 compare
  2. 19 Ethiopia 164,215 compare
  3. 20 Iran, Islamic Republic of 157,912 compare
  4. 21 China 153,962 compare
  5. 22 Türkiye 149,405 compare
  6. 23 Sri Lanka 148,369 compare
  7. 24 Cameroon 140,366 compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More social development data for Upper middle income

All data for Upper middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Upper middle income?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Upper middle income was 6.73 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 Upper middle income?
The highest recorded value was 7.50 million in 2023.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Upper middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 3,160 in 1973.
How does Upper middle income rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Upper middle income ranks 21st 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 Upper middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 252.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Upper middle income 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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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Upper middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-origin/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
246 places, 10,112 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.