STATISTICS

Refugee statistics

What proportion of the world's refugees settle in each country?

Countries hosting the most refugees and asylum seekers, end of 2005 (thousands)

Source: UNHCR

Statistics for numbers of refugees should always be treated with caution. Different countries use different methods of counting refugees and some countries have no formal arrangements at all. Also, nations which have implemented strong border control regimes will have driven many refugees into undocumented migration while other nations with open borders may not record refugee movements. The figures listed above are based on estimates made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In an encouraging trend, the number of refugees - people who have fled persecution in their own countries to seek safety in neighbouring states and who comprise UNHCR's core 'constituency' Ð fell 12 per cent in 2005 to 8.4 million. Over the past five years, the global refugee population has fallen by one third and now stands at the lowest level since 1980. One reason for this is that a total of 1.1 million refugees went home voluntarily in 2005, including 752,000 to Afghanistan and 70,000 to Liberia. Another reason for the sharp drop in the global total is that only 136,000 new refugees fled to neighbouring states in 2005 Ð the smallest number for 29 years.

At the beginning of 2006, there were some 773,500 asylum seekers whose individual claims had not yet been adjudicated Ð including some of the 668,400 people who made asylum applications during 2005. The largest numbers of claims were filed by nationals of Myanmar, Somalia and Serbia and Montenegro. More than half of the new applications were lodged in Europe.

Over the last half century, several million people have been granted asylum worldwide, but in recent years the number of claims has been dropping steadily. Asylum applications in a grouping of 50 industrialised countries, for example, fell sharply for the fourth year in a row in 2005, reaching their lowest level in almost two decades.

Related links

IRR analysis: Asylum figures - behind the headlines

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees*

Home Office statistics on immigration and asylum*

* IRR is not responsible for the content of external websites. Inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement.