World 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.
  • World refugee statistics for 2022 was 35,300,386.00, a 30.16% increase from 2021.
  • World refugee statistics for 2021 was 27,120,192.00, a 2.86% increase from 2020.
  • World refugee statistics for 2020 was 26,365,367.00, a 1.23% increase from 2019.
  • World refugee statistics for 2019 was 26,044,498.00, a 0.54% increase from 2018.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Refugees Granted Asylum
World 35,300,386.00
OECD members 11,210,083.00
Sub-Saharan Africa 7,118,043.00
European Union 6,696,998.00
Euro Area 4,627,871.00
South Asia 3,011,227.00
North America 503,680.00
East Asia & Pacific 328,332.00
Latin America & Caribbean 296,962.00
World Refugee Statistics - Historical Data
Year Refugees Granted Asylum Annual % Change
2022 35,300,386.00 30.16%
2021 27,120,192.00 2.86%
2020 26,365,367.00 1.23%
2019 26,044,498.00 0.54%
2018 25,905,091.00 2.05%
2017 25,383,513.00 12.69%
2016 22,524,729.00 5.49%
2015 21,351,533.00 9.30%
2014 19,534,031.00 16.77%
2013 16,728,282.00 8.51%
2012 15,416,934.00 1.42%
2011 15,201,660.00 -0.25%
2010 15,239,914.00 0.51%
2009 15,162,383.00 0.01%
2008 15,160,726.00 -4.97%
2007 15,952,902.00 11.36%
2006 14,325,308.00 10.10%
2005 13,011,239.00 -5.75%
2004 13,805,229.00 0.56%
2003 13,728,696.00 -6.09%
2002 14,619,220.00 -8.88%
2001 16,043,088.00 0.68%
2000 15,935,134.00 3.71%
1999 15,364,642.00 2.06%
1998 15,053,820.00 -2.78%
1997 15,484,076.00 -7.42%
1996 16,725,191.00 -7.81%
1995 18,141,960.00 -3.74%
1994 18,846,657.00 -2.04%
1993 19,238,525.00 -6.36%
1992 20,545,162.00 5.74%
1991 19,429,141.00 -2.12%
1990 19,850,545.00 inf%
1989 0.00 nan%
1988 0.00 nan%
1987 0.00 nan%
1986 0.00 nan%
1985 0.00 nan%
1984 0.00 nan%
1983 0.00 nan%
1982 0.00 nan%
1981 0.00 nan%
1980 0.00 nan%
1979 0.00 nan%
1978 0.00 nan%
1977 0.00 nan%
1976 0.00 nan%
1975 0.00 nan%
1974 0.00 nan%
1973 0.00 nan%
1972 0.00 nan%
1971 0.00 nan%
1970 0.00 nan%
1969 0.00 nan%
1968 0.00 nan%
1967 0.00 nan%
1966 0.00 nan%
1965 0.00 nan%
1964 0.00 nan%
1963 0.00 nan%
1962 0.00 nan%
1961 0.00 nan%
1960 0.00 nan%