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

Key figures

Over five years it is up 20% from 20 in 2020 (3.71% a year on average, compounded). Since 1999 it is down 44.19% from 43 in 1999 (2.22% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 16 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 15% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Mauritius had the 148th 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 Mauritius in the 2025 ranking

• Cayman Islands — 146th of 168: 53
• Guyana — 147th of 168: 35
• Guinea-Bissau — 148th of 168: 24
• Suriname — 150th of 168: 24
• Cambodia — 151st of 168: 23
• Dominican Republic — 152nd of 168: 20

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 11 values

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

• Angola — 25,396 (2025)
• Benin — 16,974 (2025)
• Botswana — 847 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 40,996 (2025)
• Burundi — 110,800 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 0 (2025)
• Cameroon — 408,613 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 55,307 (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Mauritius

• Net migration — -2,784 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 37.68% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate) — 42.94% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate) — 40.27% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 48.1% (2024)
• Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 70.66% (2024)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 68.07% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Mauritius's refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum?

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

How has it changed since 1999?

It is down 44.19% from 43 in 1999 (2.22% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 43 in 1999 and the lowest 0 in 2016.

How does Mauritius rank?

148th highest of 168 economies with data for 2025.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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.

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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