Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Belgium

Belgium: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 183,551 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
183,551
Change on year
up 9.4%
World rank
20th
of 70 countries
All-time high
183,551
in 2024
All-time low
11,100
in 1974
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Belgium, 1960–2024

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k196019922024

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Belgium is 183,551, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.4% on the previous year and up 529.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Belgium peaked at 183,551 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11,100, in 1974.

Belgium ranks 20th of 70 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum in Belgium, 1960 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1960 55,000
1961 53,000 -3.6%
1962 51,000 -3.8%
1963 50,000 -2.0%
1964 47,000 -6.0%
1965 47,000 +0.0%
1966 40,000 -14.9%
1967 34,000 -15.0%
1968 33,000 -2.9%
1969 30,000 -9.1%
1970 31,500 +5.0%
1971 29,000 -7.9%
1972 29,000 +0.0%
1973 20,000 -31.0%
1974 11,100 -44.5%
1975 16,788 +51.2%
1976 17,000 +1.3%
1977 17,000 +0.0%
1978 17,000 +0.0%
1979 32,000 +88.2%
1980 33,000 +3.1%
1981 35,000 +6.1%
1982 21,000 -40.0%
1983 35,000 +66.7%
1984 36,400 +4.0%
1985 36,600 +0.5%
1986 35,900 -1.9%
1987 22,000 -38.7%
1988 23,117 +5.1%
1989 25,531 +10.4%
1990 25,911 +1.5%
1991 24,071 -7.1%
1992 24,292 +0.9%
1993 24,908 +2.5%
1994 19,497 -21.7%
1995 31,691 +62.5%
1996 36,060 +13.8%
1997 36,060 +0.0%
1998 15,501 -57.0%
1999 16,747 +8.0%
2000 18,821 +12.4%
2001 12,252 -34.9%
2002 12,560 +2.5%
2003 12,583 +0.2%
2004 13,522 +7.5%
2005 15,277 +13.0%
2006 16,811 +10.0%
2007 17,578 +4.6%
2008 17,025 -3.1%
2009 15,536 -8.7%
2010 17,891 +15.2%
2011 22,396 +25.2%
2012 22,023 -1.7%
2013 25,617 +16.3%
2014 29,170 +13.9%
2015 35,302 +21.0%
2016 42,158 +19.4%
2017 42,158 +0.0%
2018 42,158 +0.0%
2019 61,662 +46.3%
2020 64,973 +5.4%
2021 74,063 +14.0%
2022 150,713 +103.5%
2023 167,831 +11.4%
2024 183,551 +9.4%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 183,551 is above the median for high income countries, which is 82,770, 2.2× the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 183,551 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 67,218, 2.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +103.5% 74,063 150,713
1979 +88.2% 17,000 32,000

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 44,000 30,000 55,000 10
1970s 22,039 11,100 32,000 10
1980s 30,355 21,000 36,600 10
1990s 25,474 15,501 36,060 10
2000s 15,196 12,252 18,821 10
2010s 34,054 17,891 61,662 10
2020s 128,226 64,973 183,551 5

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 17 Libya 200,335 compare
  2. 18 Switzerland 196,167 compare
  3. 19 Romania 184,529 compare
  4. 21 Algeria 183,368 compare
  5. 22 Sweden 163,029 compare
  6. 23 Armenia 144,379 compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More health data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Belgium?
Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Belgium was 183,551 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 183,551 in 2024.
What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 11,100 in 1974.
How does Belgium rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
Belgium ranks 20th out of 70 countries with data for 2024.
Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 529.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/refugees-under-the-mandate-of-the-unhcr-by-country-or-territory-of-asylum-2/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
70 places, 2,993 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed