Spain vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Refugees by country of asylum
Refugees by country of asylum over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 515,677 people against 429,333 people in Spain, a difference of 86,344 people.
That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.2 times Spain's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.
Spain ranks 19th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th of 183 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,000 people | 195,000 people | 193,000 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1960s | 12,667 people | 162,778 people | 150,111 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1970s | 24,000 people | 151,750 people | 127,750 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1980s | 14,617 people | 113,277 people | 98,660 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 5,634 people | 88,515 people | 82,881 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2000s | 5,656 people | 272,145 people | 266,489 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 13,813 people | 144,830 people | 131,016 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020s | 271,137 people | 312,534 people | 41,396 people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees by country of asylum, Spain or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 515,677 people against 429,333 people in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in refugees by country of asylum between Spain and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 86,344 people, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1951 to 2024.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for refugees by country of asylum?
- Spain ranks 19th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th of 183 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.