Refugees by country of asylum — all countries

Refugees by country of asylum — OECD

Refugees by country of asylum in the OECD in 2024 — 12,135,092 people. Since 1978, the indicator has risen by 604.5%.

2024 12.14M people +1.97% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 12.14M people2024
Period minimum 1.41M people1980

Trend over time

1978–2024 · people

Refugees by country of asylum — OECD, 1978–202405M10M15M19781983198819931998200320082013201820231978: 1,722,494 people1979: 1,665,182 people1980: 1,414,737 people1981: 1,694,117 people1982: 1,832,343 people1983: 1,945,014 people1984: 1,733,987 people1985: 1,941,066 people1986: 1,946,814 people1987: 1,985,424 people1988: 2,407,575 people1989: 2,548,499 people1990: 2,801,359 people1991: 2,726,900 people1992: 3,321,397 people1993: 3,187,145 people1994: 3,240,476 people1995: 3,113,292 people1996: 3,132,900 people1997: 2,854,581 people1998: 2,641,115 people1999: 2,663,061 people2000: 2,522,849 people2001: 2,568,903 people2002: 2,634,075 people2003: 2,545,726 people2004: 2,412,673 people2005: 2,187,939 people2006: 2,569,365 people2007: 1,944,806 people2008: 1,978,517 people2009: 2,005,411 people2010: 1,981,521 people2011: 1,957,240 people2012: 2,216,566 people2013: 2,200,241 people2014: 3,290,290 people2015: 4,457,969 people2016: 5,324,199 people2017: 6,368,086 people2018: 6,820,931 people2019: 6,984,345 people2020: 7,149,538 people2021: 7,489,059 people2022: 11,223,083 people2023: 11,900,293 people2024: 12,135,092 people
Change over the period: +10.41M (+604.51%) Average annual rate: 4.34 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: OECD

OECD 12.14M people
World computed 30.92M people
Refugees by country of asylum — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2024 12.14M +234,799 +1.97%
2023 11.9M +677,210 +6.03%
2022 11.22M +3.73M +49.86%
2021 7.49M +339,521 +4.75%
2020 7.15M +165,193 +2.37%
2019 6.98M +163,414 +2.4%
2018 6.82M +452,845 +7.11%
2017 6.37M +1.04M +19.61%
2016 5.32M +866,230 +19.43%
2015 4.46M +1.17M +35.49%
2014 3.29M +1.09M +49.54%
2013 2.2M −16,325 −0.74%
2012 2.22M +259,326 +13.25%
2011 1.96M −24,281 −1.23%
2010 1.98M −23,890 −1.19%
2009 2.01M +26,894 +1.36%
2008 1.98M +33,711 +1.73%
2007 1.94M −624,559 −24.31%
2006 2.57M +381,426 +17.43%
2005 2.19M −224,734 −9.31%
2004 2.41M −133,053 −5.23%
2003 2.55M −88,349 −3.35%
2002 2.63M +65,172 +2.54%
2001 2.57M +46,054 +1.83%
2000 2.52M −140,212 −5.27%
1999 2.66M +21,946 +0.83%
1998 2.64M −213,466 −7.48%
1997 2.85M −278,319 −8.88%
1996 3.13M +19,608 +0.63%
1995 3.11M −127,184 −3.92%
1994 3.24M +53,331 +1.67%
1993 3.19M −134,252 −4.04%
1992 3.32M +594,497 +21.8%
1991 2.73M −74,459 −2.66%
1990 2.8M +252,860 +9.92%
1989 2.55M +140,924 +5.85%
1988 2.41M +422,151 +21.26%
1987 1.99M +38,610 +1.98%
1986 1.95M +5,748 +0.3%
1985 1.94M +207,079 +11.94%
1984 1.73M −211,027 −10.85%
1983 1.95M +112,671 +6.15%
1982 1.83M +138,226 +8.16%
1981 1.69M +279,380 +19.75%
1980 1.41M −250,445 −15.04%
1979 1.67M −57,312 −3.33%
1978 1.72M

About the indicator

The number of refugees present in a country, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. A refugee is a person who has received protection outside their country of origin; the indicator covers both those recognized individually and those recognized on a group basis in situations of mass exodus. The series has been kept since 1951, that is since the adoption of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

Important: This is the receiving side. It is not to be confused with the number of refugees FROM a country — that is a separate indicator, and the difference between the two shows whether a country hosts forced migration or produces it.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Statistics, license CC BY 4.0.