Iraq vs Syria: Refugees, by country of origin
Iraq
270,684
in 2025
Syria
4.87 million
in 2025
Iraq rank
3rd
Syria rank
1st
Refugees, by country of origin over time
- Iraq
- Syria
How they compare
Syria currently reports 4.87 million against 270,684 in Iraq, a difference of 4.60 million.
That makes Syria's figure about 18.0 times Iraq's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Iraq ahead.
Iraq ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 1st of 20 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and Syria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.04 million | 15,727 | 1.02 million | Iraq |
| 2010s | 628,080 | 3.71 million | 3.08 million | Syria |
| 2020s | 311,630 | 6.21 million | 5.90 million | Syria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher refugees, by country of origin, Iraq or Syria?
- Syria, at 4.87 million against 270,684 in Iraq as of 2025.
- What is the difference in refugees, by country of origin between Iraq and Syria?
- 4.60 million, with Syria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Syria?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2025.
- How do Iraq and Syria rank globally for refugees, by country of origin?
- Iraq ranks 3rd and Syria ranks 1st of 20 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNICEF, published as Refugees, by country of origin. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.