Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China
China: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum was 230 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China, 1966–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China is 230, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 99.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China peaked at 321,758 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 230, in 2025.
China ranks 138th of 183 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 970 | — |
| 1979 | 250,000 | +25673.2% |
| 1980 | 263,000 | +5.2% |
| 1981 | 265,000 | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 272,100 | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 276,630 | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 279,750 | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 279,670 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 281,790 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 280,600 | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 284,300 | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 284,300 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 287,276 | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 289,061 | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 288,123 | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 287,424 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 287,065 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 288,310 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 290,099 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 291,506 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 292,345 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 293,297 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 294,109 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 295,321 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 297,273 | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 299,347 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 299,367 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 301,039 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 301,024 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 301,075 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 300,966 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 300,985 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 300,984 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 301,016 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 301,037 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 301,045 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 301,052 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 301,044 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 317,254 | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 321,714 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 321,758 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 303,379 | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 303,405 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 303,436 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 320 | -99.9% |
| 2023 | 296 | -7.5% |
| 2024 | 261 | -11.8% |
| 2025 | 230 | -11.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 230 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4,499, 5% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 230 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51.5, 4.5× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +25673.2% | 970 | 250,000 |
| 2022 | -99.9% | 303,436 | 320 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 970 | 970 | 970 | 1 |
| 1970s | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 1 |
| 1980s | 276,714 | 263,000 | 284,300 | 10 |
| 1990s | 289,451 | 287,065 | 293,297 | 10 |
| 2000s | 299,051 | 294,109 | 301,075 | 10 |
| 2010s | 307,028 | 300,984 | 321,758 | 10 |
| 2020s | 101,325 | 230 | 303,436 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -12.97 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.31 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.68 (2100)
- Population density 67.46 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15.54 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China?
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum in China was 230 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 321,758 in 2018.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of asylum recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 230 in 2025.
- How does China rank for refugee population by country or territory of asylum?
- China ranks 138th out of 183 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of asylum rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 99.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Refugee population by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).