Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand

New Zealand: Refugees by country of origin was 52 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
52 people
Change on year
up 33.3%
World rank
161st
of 204 countries
All-time high
52 people
in 2024
All-time low
0 people
in 2001
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand, 2001–2024

02040602001201220242001: 0 people2002: 0 people2003: 0 people2004: 0 people2005: 5 people2006: 7 people2007: 12 people2008: 8 people2009: 9 people2010: 11 people2011: 13 people2012: 19 people2013: 15 people2014: 14 people2015: 16 people2016: 25 people2017: 34 people2018: 34 people2019: 34 people2020: 35 people2021: 33 people2022: 48 people2023: 39 people2024: 52 people

Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2024, refugees by country of origin in New Zealand stood at 52 people. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 33.3% on the previous year and up 271.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees by country of origin in New Zealand peaked at 52 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 2001.

New Zealand ranks 161st of 204 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand, 2001 to 2024.
Year people Change
2001 0 people
2002 0 people
2003 0 people
2004 0 people
2005 5 people
2006 7 people +40.0%
2007 12 people +71.4%
2008 8 people -33.3%
2009 9 people +12.5%
2010 11 people +22.2%
2011 13 people +18.2%
2012 19 people +46.2%
2013 15 people -21.1%
2014 14 people -6.7%
2015 16 people +14.3%
2016 25 people +56.2%
2017 34 people +36.0%
2018 34 people +0.0%
2019 34 people +0.0%
2020 35 people +2.9%
2021 33 people -5.7%
2022 48 people +45.5%
2023 39 people -18.8%
2024 52 people +33.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.56 people 0 people 12 people 9
2010s 21.5 people 11 people 34 people 10
2020s 41.4 people 33 people 52 people 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 158 Ireland 68 people compare
  2. 159 Qatar 65 people compare
  3. 160 Japan 55 people compare
  4. 162 Suriname 50 people compare
  5. 163 Singapore 45 people compare
  6. 164 Solomon Islands 44 people compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More population data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees by country of origin in New Zealand?
Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand was 52 people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest refugees by country of origin recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 52 people in 2024.
What is the lowest refugees by country of origin recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 2001.
How does New Zealand rank for refugees by country of origin?
New Zealand ranks 161st out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
Is refugees by country of origin rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 271.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand 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 origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/refugee-population-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-2/new-zealand/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://population.statizoid.com/stat/refugee-population-by-country-or-territory-of-origin-2/new-zealand/">Refugees by country of origin in New Zealand</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Refugees by country of origin
Unit
people
Source
UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
204 places, 7,190 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

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, not just those who fled that year.