Refugees by country of asylum in Philippines
Philippines: Refugees by country of asylum was 962 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in Philippines, 1975–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Philippines recorded 962 people for refugees by country of asylum in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 351.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Philippines peaked at 26,651 people in 1989 and was at its lowest, 92 people, in 2005.
That places Philippines 128th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees by country of asylum in Philippines, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 690 people | — |
| 1976 | 940 people | +36.2% |
| 1977 | 1,300 people | +38.3% |
| 1978 | 5,300 people | +307.7% |
| 1979 | 5,300 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 20,300 people | +283.0% |
| 1981 | 23,310 people | +14.8% |
| 1982 | 15,240 people | -34.6% |
| 1983 | 18,890 people | +24.0% |
| 1984 | 18,270 people | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 16,990 people | -7.0% |
| 1986 | 13,830 people | -18.6% |
| 1987 | 13,170 people | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 21,109 people | +60.3% |
| 1989 | 26,651 people | +26.3% |
| 1990 | 19,860 people | -25.5% |
| 1991 | 8,972 people | -54.8% |
| 1992 | 6,721 people | -25.1% |
| 1993 | 2,476 people | -63.2% |
| 1994 | 668 people | -73.0% |
| 1995 | 776 people | +16.2% |
| 1996 | 685 people | -11.7% |
| 1997 | 306 people | -55.3% |
| 1998 | 303 people | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 166 people | -45.2% |
| 2000 | 175 people | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 132 people | -24.6% |
| 2002 | 109 people | -17.4% |
| 2003 | 109 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 106 people | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 92 people | -13.2% |
| 2006 | 96 people | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 102 people | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 99 people | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 93 people | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 238 people | +155.9% |
| 2011 | 118 people | -50.4% |
| 2012 | 141 people | +19.5% |
| 2013 | 178 people | +26.2% |
| 2014 | 213 people | +19.7% |
| 2015 | 254 people | +19.2% |
| 2016 | 392 people | +54.3% |
| 2017 | 512 people | +30.6% |
| 2018 | 631 people | +23.2% |
| 2019 | 680 people | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 709 people | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 801 people | +13.0% |
| 2022 | 856 people | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 934 people | +9.1% |
| 2024 | 962 people | +3.0% |
Philippines compared with similar countries
- Philippines's 962 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6,251 people, 15% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Philippines's 962 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51.5 people, 18.7× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in Philippines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +307.7% | 1,300 people | 5,300 people |
| 1980 | +283.0% | 5,300 people | 20,300 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,706 people | 690 people | 5,300 people | 5 |
| 1980s | 18,776 people | 13,170 people | 26,651 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,093 people | 166 people | 19,860 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 111.3 people | 92 people | 175 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 335.7 people | 118 people | 680 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 852.4 people | 709 people | 962 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
More population data for Philippines
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6532 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.167 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6532 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0898 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 157,892 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.32 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6047 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 383.08 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.22 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Philippines?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Philippines was 962 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 Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 26,651 people in 1989.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 92 people in 2005.
- How does Philippines rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Philippines ranks 128th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is up 351.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Philippines 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.