Japan: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Japan's refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum rose 46% on 2024 (from 29,068 to 42,450).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +29.5% and a typical year strayed about 169.8% 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 924.6% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 22.7% in 2019. 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 4,195 a year. A straight line explains 74% 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, Japan had the 66th highest value of the 168 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 Japan in the 2025 ranking

• Togo — 63rd of 168: 54,167
• Yemen, Rep. — 64th of 168: 49,107
• Cyprus — 65th of 168: 48,207
• Estonia — 67th of 168: 41,299
• Burkina Faso — 68th of 168: 40,996
• Serbia — 69th of 168: 40,863

What this measures

Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.

Limitations: Inconsistencies in data collection standards across countries can complicate the comparability of refugee data globally, making it challenging to create uniform policies. The fluidity of refugee movements and states’ processing of status changes, such as shifts from asylum-seeker to refugee, can impact the timeliness of the data. Furthermore, political pressures may influence how governments report refugee figures, potentially leading to underreporting or misrepresentation of the situation.

All 49 values

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum in nearby economies

• Australia — 33,415 (2025)
• Cambodia — 23 (2025)
• China — 230 (2025)
• Fiji — 15 (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 236 (2025)
• Indonesia — 7,374 (2025)
• Korea, Rep. — 4,407 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 0 (2017)

More social protection & labor data for Japan

• Employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) — 55.14% (2025)
• Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) — 69.8% (2025)
• Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) — 62.23% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 56.4% (2025)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 78.66% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 71.7% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 63.8% (2025)

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 Japan's refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum?

42,450 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 6,975% from 600 in 1977 (9.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 42,450 in 2025 and the lowest 600 in 1977.

How does Japan rank?

66th highest of 168 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum unusual for Japan?

In 2025, Japan's refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum rose 46% on 2024 (from 29,068 to 42,450). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +29.5% and a typical year strayed about 169.8% 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.RHCR.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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