Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand

New Zealand: Forcibly displaced people was 6,732 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
6,732
Change on year
up 19.7%
World rank
132nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
6,732
in 2025
All-time low
1,452
in 2015
Years of data
16
2010–2025

Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand, 2010–2025

2.0k4.0k6.0k2010201720252010: 2.5k2011: 2.1k2012: 1.8k2013: 1.7k2014: 1.6k2015: 1.5k2016: 1.7k2017: 1.9k2018: 2.0k2019: 2.3k2020: 2.4k2021: 2.5k2022: 2.4k2023: 3.7k2024: 5.6k2025: 6.7k

Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Analysis

The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in New Zealand is 6,732, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 19.7% on the previous year and up 363.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in New Zealand peaked at 6,732 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,452, in 2015.

That places New Zealand 132nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1,886 1,452 2,455 10
2020s 3,890 2,364 6,732 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 129 United Arab Emirates 7,634 compare
  2. 130 Curacao 6,903 compare
  3. 131 Namibia 6,796 compare
  4. 133 Paraguay 6,280 compare
  5. 134 Sri Lanka 5,284 compare
  6. 135 Eswatini 4,925 compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More social development data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is forcibly displaced people in New Zealand?
Forcibly displaced people in New Zealand was 6,732 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 6,732 in 2025.
What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 1,452 in 2015.
How does New Zealand rank for forcibly displaced people?
New Zealand ranks 132nd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 363.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Forcibly displaced people
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 3,518 data points, 2010–2025
Last refreshed

Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.