Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled was 515,677 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1951–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
In 2024, refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 515,677. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 14.9% on the previous year and up 339.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 515,677 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39,755, in 1988.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 208,000 | — |
| 1952 | 200,000 | -3.8% |
| 1953 | 192,000 | -4.0% |
| 1954 | 182,000 | -5.2% |
| 1955 | 175,000 | -3.8% |
| 1956 | 182,000 | +4.0% |
| 1957 | 179,000 | -1.6% |
| 1958 | 175,000 | -2.2% |
| 1959 | 170,000 | -2.9% |
| 1960 | 167,000 | -1.8% |
| 1961 | 164,000 | -1.8% |
| 1962 | 160,000 | -2.4% |
| 1963 | 157,000 | -1.9% |
| 1964 | 160,000 | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 170,000 | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 167,000 | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 164,000 | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 161,000 | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 162,000 | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 162,000 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 150,000 | -7.4% |
| 1972 | 150,000 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 150,000 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 155,500 | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 153,000 | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 153,000 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 148,000 | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 150,000 | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 146,000 | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 148,000 | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 146,000 | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 143,000 | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 140,000 | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 135,000 | -3.6% |
| 1985 | 135,000 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 100,000 | -25.9% |
| 1987 | 100,000 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 39,755 | -60.2% |
| 1989 | 46,014 | +15.7% |
| 1990 | 43,625 | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 43,368 | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 64,717 | +49.2% |
| 1993 | 80,230 | +24.0% |
| 1994 | 85,159 | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 90,908 | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 98,577 | +8.4% |
| 1997 | 107,933 | +9.5% |
| 1998 | 121,715 | +12.8% |
| 1999 | 148,921 | +22.4% |
| 2000 | 186,247 | +25.1% |
| 2001 | 233,389 | +25.3% |
| 2002 | 260,687 | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 276,482 | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 298,826 | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 303,163 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 301,537 | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 299,696 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 292,076 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 269,350 | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 238,128 | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 193,489 | -18.7% |
| 2012 | 149,782 | -22.6% |
| 2013 | 126,036 | -15.9% |
| 2014 | 117,226 | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 123,051 | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 118,973 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 121,821 | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 126,708 | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 133,083 | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 132,304 | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 137,078 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 328,989 | +140.0% |
| 2023 | 448,620 | +36.4% |
| 2024 | 515,677 | +14.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 184,778 | 170,000 | 208,000 | 9 |
| 1960s | 163,200 | 157,000 | 170,000 | 10 |
| 1970s | 151,750 | 146,000 | 162,000 | 10 |
| 1980s | 113,277 | 39,755 | 148,000 | 10 |
| 1990s | 88,515 | 43,368 | 148,921 | 10 |
| 2000s | 272,145 | 186,247 | 303,163 | 10 |
| 2010s | 144,830 | 117,226 | 238,128 | 10 |
| 2020s | 312,534 | 132,304 | 515,677 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 13 Jordan 643,641 compare
- 14 Kenya 604,257 compare
- 15 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 517,404 compare
- 17 South Sudan 514,794 compare
- 18 United States of America 435,333 compare
- 19 Spain 429,333 compare
More population data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.1389 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.21 million people (2100)
- Population density 307.14 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.169 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2666 Percent per annum (2030)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 515,677 in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 515,677 in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39,755 in 1988.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 16th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 339.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum with 169 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Refugees by country of asylum UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Refugee population by country or territory of asylum with 169 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.