U.K. Refugee Statistics 1960-2023
Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.
- U.K. refugee statistics for 2021 was 137,078.00, a 3.61% increase from 2020.
- U.K. refugee statistics for 2020 was 132,304.00, a 0.59% decline from 2019.
- U.K. refugee statistics for 2019 was 133,083.00, a 5.03% increase from 2018.
- U.K. refugee statistics for 2018 was 126,708.00, a 4.01% increase from 2017.
| Similar Country Ranking |
| Country Name |
Refugees Granted Asylum |
| Germany |
1,255,694.00 |
| France |
499,914.00 |
| United States |
339,179.00 |
| Sweden |
240,854.00 |
| Austria |
152,514.00 |
| Italy |
144,862.00 |
| United Kingdom |
137,078.00 |
| Canada |
130,125.00 |
| Spain |
122,539.00 |
| Greece |
119,650.00 |
| Switzerland |
118,829.00 |
| Netherlands |
99,585.00 |
| Belgium |
74,063.00 |
| Australia |
55,606.00 |
| Norway |
46,042.00 |
| Denmark |
36,023.00 |
| Finland |
24,078.00 |
| Cyprus |
16,277.00 |
| Ireland |
9,571.00 |
| Malta |
9,335.00 |
| Luxembourg |
6,011.00 |
| Hungary |
5,676.00 |
| Poland |
4,875.00 |
| Argentina |
4,050.00 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
3,571.00 |
| South Korea |
3,559.00 |
| Portugal |
2,651.00 |
| Panama |
2,542.00 |
| Chile |
2,065.00 |
| Czech Republic |
1,909.00 |
| Lithuania |
1,880.00 |
| Iceland |
1,830.00 |
| New Zealand |
1,794.00 |
| UAE |
1,355.00 |
| Israel |
1,191.00 |
| Japan |
1,132.00 |
| Slovak Republic |
1,046.00 |
| Croatia |
1,020.00 |
| Uruguay |
877.00 |
| Slovenia |
839.00 |
| Kuwait |
720.00 |
| Latvia |
705.00 |
| Saudi Arabia |
333.00 |
| Estonia |
321.00 |
| Oman |
295.00 |
| Hong Kong |
271.00 |
| Bahrain |
256.00 |
| Qatar |
197.00 |
| Liechtenstein |
133.00 |
| Cayman Islands |
57.00 |
| Monaco |
17.00 |
| Bahamas |
10.00 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
7.00 |
| U.K. Refugee Statistics - Historical Data |
| Year |
Refugees Granted Asylum |
Annual % Change |
| 2021 |
137,078.00 |
3.61% |
| 2020 |
132,304.00 |
-0.59% |
| 2019 |
133,083.00 |
5.03% |
| 2018 |
126,708.00 |
4.01% |
| 2017 |
121,821.00 |
2.39% |
| 2016 |
118,973.00 |
-3.31% |
| 2015 |
123,051.00 |
4.97% |
| 2014 |
117,226.00 |
-6.99% |
| 2013 |
126,036.00 |
-15.86% |
| 2012 |
149,790.00 |
-22.59% |
| 2011 |
193,494.00 |
-18.75% |
| 2010 |
238,133.00 |
-11.59% |
| 2009 |
269,355.00 |
-7.78% |
| 2008 |
292,081.00 |
-2.54% |
| 2007 |
299,701.00 |
-0.61% |
| 2006 |
301,537.00 |
-0.54% |
| 2005 |
303,163.00 |
1.45% |
| 2004 |
298,826.00 |
8.08% |
| 2003 |
276,482.00 |
6.06% |
| 2002 |
260,687.00 |
11.70% |
| 2001 |
233,389.00 |
25.31% |
| 2000 |
186,247.00 |
25.06% |
| 1999 |
148,921.00 |
22.35% |
| 1998 |
121,715.00 |
12.77% |
| 1997 |
107,933.00 |
9.49% |
| 1996 |
98,577.00 |
8.44% |
| 1995 |
90,908.00 |
6.75% |
| 1994 |
85,159.00 |
6.14% |
| 1993 |
80,230.00 |
23.97% |
| 1992 |
64,717.00 |
49.23% |
| 1991 |
43,368.00 |
-0.59% |
| 1990 |
43,625.00 |
-5.19% |
| 1989 |
46,014.00 |
15.74% |
| 1988 |
39,755.00 |
-60.25% |
| 1987 |
100,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1986 |
100,000.00 |
-25.93% |
| 1985 |
135,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1984 |
135,000.00 |
-3.57% |
| 1983 |
140,000.00 |
-2.10% |
| 1982 |
143,000.00 |
-2.05% |
| 1981 |
146,000.00 |
-1.35% |
| 1980 |
148,000.00 |
1.37% |
| 1979 |
146,000.00 |
-2.67% |
| 1978 |
150,000.00 |
1.35% |
| 1977 |
148,000.00 |
-3.27% |
| 1976 |
153,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1975 |
153,000.00 |
-1.61% |
| 1974 |
155,500.00 |
3.67% |
| 1973 |
150,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1972 |
150,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1971 |
150,000.00 |
-7.41% |
| 1970 |
162,000.00 |
0.00% |
| 1969 |
162,000.00 |
0.62% |
| 1968 |
161,000.00 |
-1.83% |
| 1967 |
164,000.00 |
-1.80% |
| 1966 |
167,000.00 |
-1.76% |
| 1965 |
170,000.00 |
6.25% |
| 1964 |
160,000.00 |
1.91% |
| 1963 |
157,000.00 |
-1.88% |
| 1962 |
160,000.00 |
-2.44% |
| 1961 |
164,000.00 |
-1.80% |
| 1960 |
167,000.00 |
-1.80% |
