Countries in South America by refugees abroad
Refugees who fled the country and are under UNHCR’s protection abroad, for every 1,000 people still living there. Palestine refugees under UNRWA are not included. 12 countries in South America, highest first. World Bank, 2025
Median country
0.16
half above, half below| # | Country | Per 1,000 people | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Venezuela | 14.62 | South America |
| 2 |  Colombia | 1.49 | South America |
| 3 |  Guyana | 0.41 | South America |
| 4 |  Ecuador | 0.31 | South America |
| 5 |  Chile | 0.27 | South America |
| 6 |  Peru | 0.23 | South America |
| 7 |  Suriname | 0.09 | South America |
| 8 |  Bolivia | 0.06 | South America |
| 9 |  Uruguay | 0.04 | South America |
| 10 |  Brazil | 0.03 | South America |
| 11 |  Paraguay | 0.02 | South America |
| 12 |  Argentina | 0.01 | South America |
Questions
- Which country in South America has the most refugees abroad for its population?
- Venezuela has the most refugees abroad for its population in South America: 14.62 refugees abroad per 1,000 people (2025). Next come Colombia (1.49 refugees abroad per 1,000 people) and Guyana (0.41 refugees abroad per 1,000 people).
- Which country in South America has the fewest refugees abroad for its population?
- Argentina, with 0.01 refugees abroad per 1,000 people (2025).
- What is the typical refugees abroad of a country in South America?
- The median of the 12 countries in South America is 0.16 refugees abroad per 1,000 people: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
- Where do the figures come from?
- Refugees who fled the country and are under UNHCR’s protection abroad, for every 1,000 people still living there. Palestine refugees under UNRWA are not included. Source: World Bank, 2025. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.
Source: World Bank (CC BY 4.0). Figures more than 5 years older than the newest are left out rather than shown beside current ones. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.