Egypt, Arab Rep.: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum rose 37.5% on 2024 (from 638,948 to 878,268).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +29.3% and a typical year strayed about 65.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 263.6% in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 55.4% in 2003. 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 74,846 a year. A straight line explains 59% 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, Egypt, Arab Rep. had the 2nd highest value of the 166 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 Egypt, Arab Rep. in the 2025 ranking

• United States — 1st of 166: 3.72 million
• Peru — 3rd of 166: 556,770
• Canada — 4th of 166: 314,469
• Germany — 5th of 166: 297,503

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 asylum in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 382 (2025)
• Algeria — 3,690 (2025)
• Bahrain — 122 (2025)
• Djibouti — 10,141 (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 0 (2025)
• Iraq — 23,366 (2025)
• Israel — 29,682 (2025)
• Jordan — 8,068 (2025)
• Kuwait — 611 (2025)
• Lebanon — 7,617 (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Egypt, Arab Rep.

• Net migration — -57,305 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 220,033 (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 5.95% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 23.83% (2024)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 33.58% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 70.96% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 47.96% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Egypt, Arab Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum?

878,268 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 7,767% from 11,164 in 2000 (19.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 878,268 in 2025 and the lowest 5,390 in 2003.

How does Egypt, Arab Rep. rank?

2nd highest of 166 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum unusual for Egypt, Arab Rep.?

In 2025, Egypt, Arab Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum rose 37.5% on 2024 (from 638,948 to 878,268). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +29.3% and a typical year strayed about 65.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EA, 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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