Brazil: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Brazil's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin fell 22.6% on 2024 (from 86,150 to 66,672).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +31.1% and a typical year strayed about 47.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 127.7% in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 41.6% in 2005. 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 9,461 a year. A straight line explains 86% 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

In 2025, Brazil had the 29th highest value of the 190 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Brazil in the 2025 ranking

• Central African Republic — 26th of 190: 82,600
• Burkina Faso — 27th of 190: 69,817
• Myanmar — 28th of 190: 67,824
• Pakistan — 30th of 190: 65,065
• Burundi — 31st of 190: 64,899
• Guinea — 32nd of 190: 56,626

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

• Antigua and Barbuda — 39 (2025)
• Argentina — 4,621 (2025)
• Bahamas, The — 760 (2025)
• Barbados — 722 (2025)
• Belize — 1,382 (2025)
• Bolivia — 6,747 (2025)
• Cayman Islands — 5 (2025)
• Chile — 23,057 (2025)
• Colombia — 303,273 (2025)
• Costa Rica

More social protection & labor data for Brazil

• Net migration — -217,283 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 278,966 (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 5.83% (2025)
• Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 7.16% (2025)
• Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 4.79% (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 6,306 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 48.01% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

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

66,672 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 10,173% from 649 in 2000 (20.36% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 86,150 in 2024 and the lowest 197 in 2011.

How does Brazil rank?

29th highest of 190 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Brazil's asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin fell 22.6% on 2024 (from 86,150 to 66,672). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +31.1% and a typical year strayed about 47.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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