The number of refugees at the end of 2007 stood at 11.4 million, including 1.7
million people considered by UNHCR to be in a refugee-like situation. The previous
year, that figure was 9.9 million. In view of changes introduced in the methodology
and scope for estimating refugee populations in a number of countries, the 2007
figure is not fully comparable with those of previous years.
· By the end of 2007, developing countries hosted 9.3 million refugees, 82 per cent
of the global refugee population. The 50 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) provided
asylum to 18 per cent of the world’s refugees.
· By the end of 2007, Asia hosted the largest number of refugees (55%), followed
by Africa (22%), Europe (14%), Latin America and the Caribbean (5%), North
1 For a definition of the different population categories, see pp. 16-17.
2 The 4.6 million Palestinian refugees who fall under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) are not included in UNHCR statistics.
3 See the introduction for more details.
2007 UNHCR STATISTICAL YEARBOOK
8
America (4%), and Oceania (0.3%).4
· Pakistan (some 2.0 million; UNHCR estimate)5 and the Syrian Arab Republic (1.5
million; Government estimate) hosted the largest number of refugees at the end of
2007. Other major countries of asylum included the Islamic Republic of Iran
(964,000), Germany (579,000), Jordan (500,000; Government estimate), and the
United Republic of Tanzania (436,000).
· By the end of 2007, there were more than 3 million Afghan refugees according to
UNHCR estimates, including 1.1 million in a refugee-like situation. Afghan refugees
accounted for one quarter of the global refugee population under UNHCR’s
responsibility. Iraq was the second largest country of origin of refugees (2.3 million)6,
followed by Sudan (523,000), Somalia (457,000), Burundi (376,000), and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (370,000).