Spain vs United Kingdom: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum
Spain
511,079
in 2025
United Kingdom
581,072
in 2025
Spain rank
17th
United Kingdom rank
14th
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 581,072 against 511,079 in Spain, a difference of 69,993.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
Across all 67 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
Spain ranks 17th and United Kingdom ranks 14th of 183 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,000 | 195,000 | 193,000 | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 12,667 | 162,778 | 150,111 | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 24,000 | 151,750 | 127,750 | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 14,617 | 113,277 | 98,660 | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 5,634 | 88,515 | 82,881 | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 5,656 | 272,145 | 266,489 | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 13,813 | 144,830 | 131,016 | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 311,128 | 357,290 | 46,162 | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugee population by country or territory of asylum, Spain or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 581,072 against 511,079 in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugee population by country or territory of asylum between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 69,993, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 67 years are reported by both, from 1951 to 2025.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- Spain ranks 17th and United Kingdom ranks 14th of 183 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Refugee population by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.