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UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · Refugees by Country of Origin
Refugees by country of origin by country
How many refugees have fled each country?
Of the 202 countries compared in 2025, Ukraine had the highest reading, 5,224,131, and 10 countries shared the lowest reading, 0. In the middle country the figure was 1,272. Among the 111 countries measured in every edition since 1992, the middle one moved from 2,483 to 12,661.
Refugees by country of origin · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 202Ukraine
5,224,131012025 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 202 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Lowest in 2025
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
02Every measured country
Refugees by country of origin on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0–58
- 62–375
- 384–4,144
- 4,163–31,862
- 32,506–5,224,131
- No reading in 2025 (8 measured in an earlier edition)
- Africa
11,531
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Sudan2,820,737
São Tomé and Príncipe8Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Asia
4,664
the middle country, of 50 measured · 52 members
Syria4,865,764
Brunei5Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
459
the middle country, of 42 measured · 48 members
Venezuela417,0104 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Europe
188
the middle country, of 40 measured · 49 members
Ukraine5,224,131
Iceland0Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
9
the middle country, of 16 measured · 21 members
Papua New Guinea6445 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Southern Asia
42,610
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Afghanistan2,671,560
Maldives62Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Central America
35,168
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Honduras94,449
Belize108Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Western Africa
14,529
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Mali519,738
Cabo Verde15Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Northern Africa
13,781
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Sudan2,820,737
Tunisia3,711Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Middle Africa
13,433
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
DR Congo1,176,489São Tomé and Príncipe8Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Western Asia
7,520
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Syria4,865,764
Cyprus15Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Eastern Africa
4,485
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
South Sudan2,386,499
Seychelles10Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Central Asia
4,144
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Uzbekistan5,164
Turkmenistan1,864Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- South America
3,034
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Venezuela417,010
Suriname56Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Europe
2,593
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Ukraine5,224,131
Bulgaria533Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- South-eastern Asia
2,477
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Myanmar1,524,378Brunei5Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
384
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa1,319
Lesotho27Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Europe
266
the middle country, of 13 measured · 17 members
Serbia29,665
Andorra5Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Eastern Asia
245
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
China153,962
Macau15Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Caribbean
117
the middle country, of 19 measured · 24 members
Haiti180,7024 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Western Europe
113
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Germany327
Switzerland6Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Northern Europe
78
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
United Kingdom517Iceland0Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Polynesia
3
the middle country, of 6 measured · 7 members
Tonga653 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand58
Australia41Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Papua New Guinea644
Vanuatu13Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
4 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru.
2 share 5
2 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
3 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, United States.
United States3,667
Bermuda6Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
202 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 1,272; a quarter are above 16,878, and a quarter below 103. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 210 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end of this table is better, and a smaller number is not an improvement by itself — a country's count can drop because refugees were forced back. A count, not a rate, so populous countries in crisis dominate. Palestinians registered with UNRWA are not included, so the Palestine row is only the small number under UNHCR's own mandate. Stateless refugees, refugees of unknown origin and refugees from Western Sahara have no country row.
Showing 25 of 210 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051992–2025 · 34 editions
Over time
Each point is one end-of-year count from 1992, as UNHCR's database currently holds it. Read a fall with care: people leave this count when they return home, gain citizenship abroad or are deported, and when UNHCR moves them into a different category — very different things.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 111 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 202 | 1,272 | 103 – 16,878 | 12,661 |
| 2024 | 200 | 1,192 | 103 – 16,724 | 11,474 |
| 2023 | 199 | 919 | 67 – 15,072 | 8,827 |
| 2022 | 200 | 790 | 59 – 14,724 | 10,698 |
| 2021 | 198 | 733 | 54 – 14,163 | 11,041 |
| 2020 | 195 | 726 | 60 – 12,810 | 8,575 |
| 2019 | 195 | 758 | 59 – 11,887 | 7,705 |
| 2018 | 191 | 1,038 | 67 – 12,509 | 7,480 |
| 2017 | 193 | 913 | 57 – 11,205 | 7,567 |
| 2016 | 190 | 935 | 67 – 10,658 | 7,288 |
| 2015 | 193 | 893 | 71 – 10,404 | 7,359 |
| 2014 | 190 | 924 | 84 – 10,489 | 7,177 |
| 2013 | 192 | 886 | 75 – 9,816 | 5,305 |
| 2012 | 188 | 1,103 | 106 – 12,767 | 6,389 |
| 2011 | 188 | 1,057 | 90 – 12,709 | 6,093 |
| 2010 | 182 | 1,034 | 88 – 14,073 | 6,421 |
| 2009 | 183 | 987 | 77 – 14,946 | 6,272 |
| 2008 | 183 | 1,099 | 97 – 13,096 | 6,777 |
| 2007 | 184 | 1,144 | 93 – 12,126 | 6,157 |
| 2006 | 184 | 912 | 96 – 12,891 | 6,977 |
| 2005 | 186 | 707 | 62 – 13,858 | 6,288 |
| 2004 | 182 | 701 | 52 – 11,657 | 5,361 |
| 2003 | 185 | 716 | 51 – 11,651 | 6,215 |
| 2002 | 186 | 822 | 45 – 13,730 | 6,630 |
| 2001 | 179 | 610 | 33 – 8,863 | 4,397 |
| 2000 | 179 | 484 | 31 – 8,584 | 3,954 |
| 1999 | 168 | 750 | 45 – 12,278 | 3,695 |
| 1998 | 165 | 832 | 57 – 13,294 | 3,998 |
| 1997 | 159 | 824 | 75 – 21,819 | 5,983 |
| 1996 | 165 | 707 | 57 – 22,818 | 6,106 |
| 1995 | 162 | 375 | 50 – 19,321 | 5,011 |
| 1994 | 157 | 449 | 60 – 28,596 | 4,692 |
| 1993 | 121 | 1,573 | 59 – 67,887 | 3,157 |
| 1992 | 112 | 2,237 | 41 – 72,253 | 2,483 |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after- Sudan2,094,373 → 2,820,737+726,364
- Myanmar1,322,503 → 1,524,378+201,875
Burkina Faso150,081 → 351,209+201,128- Mali354,075 → 519,738+165,663
- DR Congo1,060,086 → 1,176,489+116,403
Fell most
before → after- Afghanistan5,766,586 → 2,671,560−3,095,026
- Syria5,952,174 → 4,865,764−1,086,410
Iraq305,504 → 270,671−34,833
Azerbaijan153,154 → 130,983−22,171
Central African Republic693,488 → 674,222−19,266
198 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025. The field changed from 200 to 202 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Refugees by country of origin in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
6,848,865
Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 179 times by 53 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0
Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people)
Biggest rise between editions
+5,656,615
27,562 → 5,684,177
Biggest fall between editions
−3,095,026
5,766,586 → 2,671,560
Biggest change since first measured
+5,224,092
39 → 5,224,131
Highest most often
23 of 34
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About refugees by country of origin
How many refugees under UNHCR's mandate have fled each country, counted wherever in the world they are living at the end of the year. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, compiles it, and it is the standard world count of where the people who have had to leave their country come from.
What the number is: Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people).
What it does not measure
It counts refugees under UNHCR's mandate only, so Palestinians registered with UNRWA are not included. A lower number is not necessarily better news: people leave the count when they return home, are naturalised abroad, are deported or are reclassified.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Peace & Security and Risk & Resilience, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Peace & SecurityRisk & ResilienceWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where refugees by country of origin is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- INFORM Risk IndexKeyEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee · 189 countries in commonρ 0.74
- INFORM Severity IndexACAPS · 81 countries in commonρ 0.71
- Political Corruption IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 173 countries in commonρ 0.67
Moves against
Where refugees by country of origin is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Political Stability and Absence of ViolenceKeyWorld Bank Group · 199 countries in commonρ −0.81
- Rule of LawKeyWorld Bank Group · 199 countries in commonρ −0.76
- Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 197 countries in commonρ −0.69
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 190 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
More from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
11Questions
Refugees by country of origin: questions and answers
Which country has the highest refugees by country of origin?
Ukraine, at 5,224,131, among the 202 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest refugees by country of origin?
10 countries share the lowest reading, 0, among the 202 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Refugees by Country of Origin cover?
202 in 2025, and 210 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 112 to 202 between editions.
What is the world average refugees by country of origin?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 202 compared in 2025, the figure was 1,272.
Is this UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Refugees by Country of Origin published?
This site holds 34 editions, describing 1992 to 2025.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, under CC BY 4.0. Read from the UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database through UNHCR's own API, grouped by country of origin. UNHCR rounds figures below five to the nearest multiple of five to protect confidentiality. Serbia's figure includes Kosovo, as UNHCR publishes it. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Refugees by Country of Origin — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Read from the UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database through UNHCR's own API, grouped by country of origin. UNHCR rounds figures below five to the nearest multiple of five to protect confidentiality. Serbia's figure includes Kosovo, as UNHCR publishes it.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database. Geneva: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-26.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Refugees by country of origin by country: Refugees by Country of Origin, data from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/refugees-by-origin