U.K. Refugee Statistics 1960-2024

Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.
  • U.K. refugee statistics for 2022 was 328,989.00, a 140% increase from 2021.
  • U.K. refugee statistics for 2021 was 137,078.00, a 3.61% increase from 2020.
  • U.K. refugee statistics for 2020 was 132,304.00, a 0.59% decline from 2019.
  • U.K. refugee statistics for 2019 was 133,083.00, a 5.03% increase from 2018.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Refugees Granted Asylum
Germany 2,075,445.00
Poland 971,129.00
France 612,934.00
Czech Republic 435,212.00
United States 363,059.00
United Kingdom 328,989.00
Spain 317,751.00
Italy 296,181.00
Sweden 277,726.00
Austria 258,613.00
Netherlands 218,457.00
Switzerland 182,474.00
Greece 160,761.00
Belgium 151,408.00
Canada 140,621.00
Slovak Republic 96,563.00
Ireland 81,256.00
Norway 75,311.00
Finland 69,553.00
Denmark 67,772.00
Lithuania 67,638.00
Portugal 59,777.00
Australia 54,430.00
Estonia 40,806.00
Latvia 39,055.00
Hungary 35,370.00
Cyprus 29,280.00
Croatia 20,638.00
Japan 17,406.00
Luxembourg 11,952.00
Malta 11,098.00
Slovenia 8,705.00
Iceland 5,240.00
Argentina 4,094.00
South Korea 3,825.00
Trinidad and Tobago 3,424.00
Panama 2,576.00
Chile 2,133.00
New Zealand 1,791.00
UAE 1,399.00
Israel 1,207.00
Uruguay 1,115.00
Kuwait 684.00
Liechtenstein 524.00
Saudi Arabia 454.00
Oman 295.00
Hong Kong 285.00
Bahrain 255.00
Qatar 197.00
Cayman Islands 47.00
Monaco 17.00
Bahamas 10.00
Turks and Caicos Islands 7.00
U.K. Refugee Statistics - Historical Data
Year Refugees Granted Asylum Annual % Change
2022 328,989.00 140.00%
2021 137,078.00 3.61%
2020 132,304.00 -0.59%
2019 133,083.00 5.03%
2018 126,708.00 4.01%
2017 121,821.00 2.39%
2016 118,973.00 -3.31%
2015 123,051.00 4.97%
2014 117,226.00 -6.99%
2013 126,036.00 -15.86%
2012 149,790.00 -22.59%
2011 193,494.00 -18.75%
2010 238,133.00 -11.59%
2009 269,355.00 -7.78%
2008 292,081.00 -2.54%
2007 299,701.00 -0.61%
2006 301,537.00 -0.54%
2005 303,163.00 1.45%
2004 298,826.00 8.08%
2003 276,482.00 6.06%
2002 260,687.00 11.70%
2001 233,389.00 25.31%
2000 186,247.00 25.06%
1999 148,921.00 22.35%
1998 121,715.00 12.77%
1997 107,933.00 9.49%
1996 98,577.00 8.44%
1995 90,908.00 6.75%
1994 85,159.00 6.14%
1993 80,230.00 23.97%
1992 64,717.00 49.23%
1991 43,368.00 -0.59%
1990 43,625.00 -5.19%
1989 46,014.00 15.74%
1988 39,755.00 -60.25%
1987 100,000.00 0.00%
1986 100,000.00 -25.93%
1985 135,000.00 0.00%
1984 135,000.00 -3.57%
1983 140,000.00 -2.10%
1982 143,000.00 -2.05%
1981 146,000.00 -1.35%
1980 148,000.00 1.37%
1979 146,000.00 -2.67%
1978 150,000.00 1.35%
1977 148,000.00 -3.27%
1976 153,000.00 0.00%
1975 153,000.00 -1.61%
1974 155,500.00 3.67%
1973 150,000.00 0.00%
1972 150,000.00 0.00%
1971 150,000.00 -7.41%
1970 162,000.00 0.00%
1969 162,000.00 0.62%
1968 161,000.00 -1.83%
1967 164,000.00 -1.80%
1966 167,000.00 -1.76%
1965 170,000.00 6.25%
1964 160,000.00 1.91%
1963 157,000.00 -1.88%
1962 160,000.00 -2.44%
1961 164,000.00 -1.80%
1960 167,000.00 -1.80%