A 30 Year History of Refugees Entering the U.S.

What We’re Showing

This graphic shows the number of refugees being admitted into the U.S., from 1980 to 2022. All data was sourced from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics.

Key Takeaway

Refugee intake typically spikes during wars and humanitarian crises. For example, there was a large increase in refugees during the latter years of the Iraq War, as well as a significant spike in 2016 due to the Syrian Civil War. During that time, many Syrians attempted to flee from ISIS.