Arab World: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Arab World's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin rose 11% on 2024 (from 1.46 million to 1.62 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +15.5% and a typical year strayed about 29.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 106.8% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 22.7% in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 99,158 a year. A straight line explains 64% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.

Limitations: Variability in national asylum procedures and processing times can lead to inconsistencies in data reporting, affecting the accuracy of cross-country comparisons. Unregistered asylum claims or informal border crossings may result in incomplete data, underestimating the true scope of the need for protection. Additionally, the changing status of individuals, such as those asylum-seekers that are recognized as refugees, complicates the tracking and categorization of data.

All 26 values

Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 270,007 (2025)
• Algeria — 12,949 (2025)
• Bahrain — 130 (2025)
• Djibouti — 1,419 (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 46,292 (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 49,263 (2025)
• Iraq — 96,887 (2025)
• Israel — 897 (2025)
• Jordan — 10,735 (2025)
• Kuwait

More social protection & labor data for Arab World

• Net migration — 696,991 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 3.48 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 9.09 million (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 9.95% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 39.31% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 25.09% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 20.37% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Arab World's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin?

1.62 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 1,788% from 85,706 in 2000 (12.47% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.62 million in 2025 and the lowest 69,671 in 2003.

Is the latest change in asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin unusual for Arab World?

In 2025, Arab World's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin rose 11% on 2024 (from 1.46 million to 1.62 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +15.5% and a typical year strayed about 29.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EO, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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