Refugees by country of asylum in China
China: Refugees by country of asylum was 303,405 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Refugees by country of asylum in China, 1966–2020
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for refugees by country of asylum in China is 303,405 people, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in China peaked at 321,758 people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 970 people, in 1966.
That places China 25th out of 183 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Refugees by country of asylum in China, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 970 people | — |
| 1979 | 250,000 people | +25673.2% |
| 1980 | 263,000 people | +5.2% |
| 1981 | 265,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 272,100 people | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 276,630 people | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 279,750 people | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 279,670 people | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 281,790 people | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 280,600 people | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 284,300 people | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 284,300 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 287,276 people | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 289,061 people | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 288,123 people | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 287,424 people | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 287,065 people | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 288,310 people | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 290,099 people | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 291,506 people | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 292,345 people | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 293,297 people | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 294,109 people | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 295,321 people | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 297,273 people | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 299,347 people | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 299,367 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 301,039 people | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 301,024 people | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 301,075 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 300,966 people | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 300,985 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 300,984 people | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 301,016 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 301,037 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 301,045 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 301,052 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 301,044 people | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 317,254 people | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 321,714 people | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 321,758 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 303,379 people | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 303,405 people | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 303,405 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6,251 people, 48.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 303,405 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51.5 people, 5891.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in China 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +25673.2% | 970 people | 250,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 970 people | 970 people | 970 people | 1 |
| 1970s | 250,000 people | 250,000 people | 250,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 276,714 people | 263,000 people | 284,300 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 289,451 people | 287,065 people | 293,297 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 299,051 people | 294,109 people | 301,075 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 307,028 people | 300,984 people | 321,758 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 303,405 people | 303,405 people | 303,405 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in China?
- Refugees by country of asylum in China was 303,405 people in 2020, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 321,758 people in 2018.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 970 people in 1966.
- How does China rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- China ranks 25th out of 183 countries with data for 2020.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.