The dynamic trend of refugee admission in the United States (2012 to 2024)

Key takeaways:

  • From 2012 to 2024, the refugee population in the United States increased by approximately 66%, growing from 262,006 to 435,333.
  • The overall trend indicates steady growth in the number of refugees in America, despite a brief period of stabilisation during 2020-2021.
  • The years from 2022 to 2024 demonstrate a significant rise, with annual totals increasing by more than 72,000 refugees during this time frame.
  • The figure for 2024, at 435,333 refugees, represents the highest number of refugees recorded from 2012 to 2024.

In 2012, the United States granted refuge to 262,006 individuals under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The early years showed modest increases, with the number growing to 267,214 by 2014. By 2017, the refugee count rose to 287,135, reflecting a 9.9% increase from 2012.

 

A significant shift occurred between 2017 and 2019 when the refugee population under UNHCR's mandate increased substantially to 341,715. The period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) recorded a slight decline in the number of refugees, with numbers stabilising around 340,000. However, this decline was temporary as 2022 and 2023 recorded an increase of about 70,000 combined. The refugee population reached 435,333 by the end of 2024, the highest number recorded in the United States from 2012 to 2024.

Source:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Period:

2012-2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Côte d'Ivoire has remained among the top three countries in African migrant stock since 1960
  • Africa's migrant stock continues to rise, with several countries exceeding one million migrants in 2015.
  • Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo round out the top ten, with over half a million migrants each.
  • Despite being Africa's youngest country, South Sudan ranked sixth, showing the country's rapid migration growth.
  • South Africa has led since 2010, despite facing fluctuations in the migrant stock.
  • East Africa sees significant migration, with Kenya and Ethiopia both exceeding one million migrants.
The top sources of asylum seekers in the United States (2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The top 11 nations accounted for 73% of the total asylum seekers in 2024, with each nation contributing more than 100,000 asylum seekers.
  • Venezuela (620,074) ranks first as the source country with the most asylum seekers in 2024.
  • Latin American countries dominate the top 11 list, with eight out of the eleven countries originating from the region.
  • Asian countries (China and India) make up a smaller share of the leading asylum-seeking populations.
  • Venezuela is the sole country of origin with an asylum seeker count exceeding 600,000 in 2024.
U.S. asylum applications (2012-2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The increase has been continuous and exponential, with no year experiencing a decline since 2012.
  • The pace of growth has intensified in recent years, particularly during the last four years (2020-2024), which witnessed especially sharp increases.
  • The most significant one-year increase in absolute figures took place between 2022 and 2023, adding over 800,000 new asylum applicants.
  • The figure for 2024, standing at 3.18 million, is three times more than what was recorded in 2020.
Sources of refugees in the United States as of 2024
Key Takeaways:
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has documented over 435,000 refugees in the U.S. in 2024.
  • China and Afghanistan stand as the leading sources of refugees, with 60,044 and 46,137 individuals identified as refugees from these countries respectively.
  • The top eleven countries of origin have each recorded more than 10,000 refugees in the United States.
  • Central American nations (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) accounted for 19.9% of refugees in the US.
The number of Nigerian travellers refused entry at the UK border has dropped by 70% from its peak in 2012
Between 2010 and 2022, 8,848 passengers — 3.4% of the global refusals for the period — from Nigeria were refused entry into the UK for various reasons. The refusals have gradually declined from their peak (1,117) in 2012 to 340 in 2022.
US visitor visas: Nigeria's refusal rates have been on the rise since 2015 but there have been drops since 2020
In the US fiscal year 2022, 26% of Nigerians who applied for a US visitor visa were denied, marking the lowest refusal rate in 17 years. After a steady refusal rate of between 32% and 38% from 2007 to 2015, there was an increase to 67% over four consecutive years.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved