Statistics
 
SOURCES, METHODS AND DATA CONSIDERATIONS


INTRODUCTION
The 1951 Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention provide clear refugee definitions. The fact that more than 140 countries have acceded to the 1951 Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and many of these countries have incorporated the refugee definition contained in that Convention in their national legislation, makes refugees relatively easy to count.

Refugees can only be adequately protected when they are registered. Refugee statistics are generally based on individual registration records, kept by the host government. As such, UNHCR often supports countries in registering and documenting refugees.

Although many countries have implemented the international refugee definition into their national laws and procedures, keeping accurate statistics is not always straightforward. First, there may be a difference of opinion between UNHCR, NGOs and the host country about who is a refugee. For instance, nationals fleeing conflict in their country of origin may be officially recognized as refugees by some countries, but not by others. UNHCR statistics generally reflect the data of the host country. Second, although refugees are often registered individually, the accuracy of registration varies greatly, depending on the protection and operational environment. Third, refugees may not be aware of the need to register or may perceive the costs of registration as higher than its benefits. Fourth, some countries grant not only Convention refugee status, but also subsidiary forms of protection which are more difficult to compare internationally. Fifth, even though there is an international refugee definition, the administrative rules governing the granting of refugee status vary greatly. For instance, some countries have implemented strict criteria for asylum-seekers to be admitted to the asylum procedure. Sixth, administrative records tend to overestimate the actual number of individuals, because it is easier to register than to de-register individuals. This is particularly the case when registration is linked to the provision of services or benefits.

DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE
UNHCR's population of concern is composed of various groups of people including refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs) protected/assisted by UNHCR, stateless persons and returnees (returned refugees and IDPs).

Refugees
In UNHCR statistics, refugees include persons recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted a complementary form of protection and persons granted temporary protection.

The UNHCR mandate covers all refugees, except some 4.3 million Palestinian refugees residing in areas of operation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). These Palestinian refugees are not included in UNHCR statistics. However, the Palestinian refugees living outside the UNRWA areas of operation fall under the responsibility of UNHCR and are thus included in the Statistical Online Population Database. (Read more)

Asylum-seekers
Asylum-seekers are persons who have applied for asylum or refugee status, but who have not yet received a final decision on their application. A distinction should be made between the number of asylum-seekers who have submitted a request during a certain period ("asylum applications submitted") and the number of asylum-seekers whose asylum request has not yet been decided at a certain date ("backlog of undecided or pending cases"). The Statistical Online Population Database provides both types of data. Caution should therefore be exercised when interpreting data on asylum-seekers.

Returned Refugees (Repatriation)
The population category of Returned refugees refers to refugees who have returned to their country of origin. In returnee situations, UNHCR seeks to reintegrate former refugees as soon as possible by targeting both returnees as well as receiving communities. Partners are actively engaged to provide development assistance. For statistical purposes, only refugees who have returned during the calendar year (January-December) are included in the population of concern to UNHCR. In practice, operations may assist returnees for longer or shorter periods, however.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) protected/assisted by UNHCR
Internally displaced persons or IDPs are often displaced for the same reasons as refugees. However, because IDPs have not crossed an international border, their legal situation as well as the international response to their plight differs significantly from that of refugees.

UNHCR statistics are limited to conflict-generated IDPs to whom UNHCR extends protection or assistance, generally pursuant to a special request by the United Nations Secretary-General or by a competent organ of the United Nations and with the agreement of the country concerned. As such, UNHCR statistics do not provide a comprehensive picture of global internal displacement. Moreover, UNHCR's IDP statistics are not necessarily representative of the entire IDP population in a given country but are exclusively limited to the ones who are protected and/or assisted by the Office. For global IDP estimates, consult the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) website (external link, opens new window). (Read more)

Returned IDPs
Returned IDPs refers to internally displaced persons who have returned to their place of origin or habitual residence. In returnee situations, UNHCR seeks to reintegrate former IDPs as soon as possible by targeting both returnees as well as receiving communities. Partners are actively engaged to provide development assistance. For statistical purposes, only IDPs who have returned during the calendar year (January-December) are included in the population of concern to UNHCR. In practice, operations may assist returnees for longer or shorter periods, however.

Stateless Persons
In addition to protecting persons who are or have been recently displaced, UNHCR extends support to stateless persons by seeking to avoid and reduce statelessness. A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law.

UNHCR has been entrusted by the General Assembly with fulfilling the functions under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. As the agency designated to act as an intermediary between States and stateless persons, UNHCR provides expertise in the area of nationality and has been requested by its Executive Committee to promote accession to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention.

Statelessness may be an important reason for fleeing one's place of origin. However, most stateless persons have not fled their country of habitual residence. Because stateless persons who are not refugees are difficult to enumerate, reliable global estimates on the scope of statelessness are currently not available. By the end of 2006, reliable estimates are only available for some 50 countries. (Read more)

Others of Concern
Finally, the total population of concern also includes Others of concern, that is populations not falling within any of the six population categories listed above but to whom the Office extends protection and/or assistance. Please note that the category "Others of concern" includes stateless persons until 2003.

DATA SOURCES AND PROVIDERS
In most countries, various sources are used to establish the size and characteristics of the population of concern to UNHCR. There are three main providers of data regarding the population of concern to UNHCR: governmental agencies, UNHCR field offices and NGOs. Data are compiled or collected using mainly registers, surveys, registration processes or censuses. Whereas the refugee or aliens registers, wherever available, may be the primary source of refugee statistics, asylum-seeker data are often derived from a separate administrative system. Adding to the complexity, voluntary repatriation and resettlement are often managed by separate government agencies. Sources may also differ within countries. In many countries, refugee registration is not centralized, but maintained at the local level. Refugee characteristics, such as sex, age and specific needs may not be available from the register, but collected on an ad hoc basis through surveys.

In most industrialized countries, the host government is generally the sole data provider. In most non-industrialized countries, UNHCR assists the host country in refugee registration for the purpose of international protection, assistance or durable solutions. This assistance may vary from providing technical advice and limited assistance in countries with a more developed statistical infrastructure to managing the entire registration in countries with limited means.

To ensure that the refugee register is up-to-date, a record should be kept of all changes in the size of the population, including births, deaths, new arrivals, durable solutions and changes in legal status. In mass refugee situations and when populations are highly mobile, maintaining a refugee register is a serious challenge.

DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Each data collection method has its own strengths and limitations. A register is often created to establish a legal record, to administer entitlements or to deliver services. In a register, all persons should be included and records should be updated regularly. As pressures to register outweigh those to de-register, data from a register may become inflated, requiring periodic verification. On the other hand, registers have a tendency to miss out parts of the population, as not all those who qualify are able or willing to register.

Surveys and censuses are excellent sources for planning purposes, but do not allow for follow-up at the individual level. Although a census includes each individual, it provides only a "snapshot" of the situation and quickly becomes outdated. Surveys are cost effective, but, unless carried out according to strict rules, they may not provide a representative picture. In general, various data methods should be combined and triangulated to obtain the best possible picture.

The role of UNHCR in registration depends on the country of operation. In many cases the government is doing the registration alone, whereas in other situations UNHCR may assist the government or be fully in charge of it. Over the last couple of years UNHCR has developed and started implementing a new registration software – proGres – which is a comprehensive database with possibilities for the individual and continuous registration of beneficiaries. It is expected that the implementation of this new registration software will improve the statistics and facilitate well-founded programming decisions.

Refugees who are living outside camps, sometimes unlawfully, are more difficult to track and are underrepresented in UNHCR's statistics. Nevertheless, estimates for self-settled refugees are included in the statistics of a number of countries.

As noted earlier, refugee registers require continuous registration or verification to align the administrative records with the changing situation on the ground. Consequently, the population size in refugee camps is sometimes subject to significant periodic adjustments.

ESTIMATING REFUGEE POPULATIONS IN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES
Most industrialized countries lack a refugee register and are thus not in a position to provide accurate information on the number of refugees residing in their country. To ensure that the refugee population in these countries is reflected in the global statistics, the number of refugees is estimated by UNHCR based on refugee arrivals and the recognition of asylum seekers over a 10-year (Europe and, since 2006, the United States) or 5-year (the United States before 2006, Canada and Oceania) period. These different cut-off periods reflect the time it generally takes for a refugee to acquire the nationality of his/her host country.

OTHER DATA CONSIDERATIONS
Statistics concerning the former USSR have been reported under the Russian Federation, those concerning the former Czechoslovakia have been reported under the Czech Republic and those concerning the former Yugoslavia have been reported under Serbia. For 2005 no separate statistics are available for Serbia and for Montenegro and both countries have been reported under Serbia. For 2006 onwards separate statistics are available for Serbia and for Montenegro. In most tables, the word "Democratic" has been abbreviated to "Dem.", whereas the word "Republic" is often reflected as "Rep." The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is referred to as TfYR Macedonia.





 UNHCR Statistical Online Population Database
(external link, opens new window)