Refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan
Pakistan: Refugees by country of asylum was 1.56 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan, 1979–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan stood at 1.56 million people.
That represents a change of down 21.5% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan peaked at 3.28 million people in 1989 and was at its lowest, 400,000 people, in 1979.
Pakistan ranks 5th of 183 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 400,000 people | — |
| 1980 | 1.43 million people | +257.1% |
| 1981 | 2.38 million people | +66.3% |
| 1982 | 2.88 million people | +21.1% |
| 1983 | 2.90 million people | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 2.50 million people | -13.8% |
| 1985 | 2.73 million people | +9.3% |
| 1986 | 2.88 million people | +5.5% |
| 1987 | 3.16 million people | +9.6% |
| 1988 | 3.26 million people | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 3.28 million people | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 3.26 million people | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 3.10 million people | -4.8% |
| 1992 | 1.63 million people | -47.4% |
| 1993 | 1.48 million people | -9.2% |
| 1994 | 1.06 million people | -28.7% |
| 1995 | 1.20 million people | +13.9% |
| 1996 | 1.20 million people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.20 million people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.20 million people | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.20 million people | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 2.00 million people | +66.5% |
| 2001 | 2.20 million people | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 1.23 million people | -44.2% |
| 2003 | 1.12 million people | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 1.29 million people | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 1.08 million people | -16.0% |
| 2006 | 1.04 million people | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 2.04 million people | +94.8% |
| 2008 | 1.78 million people | -12.5% |
| 2009 | 1.74 million people | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 1.90 million people | +9.2% |
| 2011 | 1.70 million people | -10.4% |
| 2012 | 1.64 million people | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 1.62 million people | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 1.51 million people | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 1.56 million people | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 1.35 million people | -13.4% |
| 2017 | 1.39 million people | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 1.40 million people | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.42 million people | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.44 million people | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 1.49 million people | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 1.74 million people | +16.9% |
| 2023 | 1.99 million people | +14.0% |
| 2024 | 1.56 million people | -21.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 400,000 people | 400,000 people | 400,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.74 million people | 1.43 million people | 3.28 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.65 million people | 1.06 million people | 3.26 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.55 million people | 1.04 million people | 2.20 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.55 million people | 1.35 million people | 1.90 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 million people | 1.44 million people | 1.99 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More population data for Pakistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.7801 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 367,808 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.8 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5037 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 662.88 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 32.24 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Pakistan was 1.56 million people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.28 million people in 1989.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 400,000 people in 1979.
- How does Pakistan rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Pakistan ranks 5th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.