The Oxford Refugee Integration Index: A 2026 Countries Rank With KPI

By Yanuar Eka Saputra February 02, 2026

Understanding the Oxford Refugee Integration Index

The Oxford Refugee Integration Index (often referred to as the IPL Integration Index) is a multidimensional survey tool designed to measure how well immigrants and refugees are integrating into their host societies. It was developed by the Immigration Policy Lab (IPL), a research center with branches at the University of Oxford, Stanford University, and ETH Zurich.

Insight: Unlike traditional metrics that focus exclusively on labor market participation, the IPL Index provides a 360-degree view of the refugee experience. By measuring "navigational" and "psychological" factors alongside economic ones, it helps policymakers identify exactly where a person is thriving and where they are getting stuck in the resettlement process.

1. Core Dimensions of the Index

The index treats integration as a holistic process involving the acquisition of "knowledge and capacity" to build a successful life. It measures success across six key dimensions:

Dimension	Description
Psychological	Feelings of belonging, connection to the host country, and levels of social isolation.
Economic	Employment status, household income, and the ability to meet unexpected expenses.
Social	Frequency of social interactions with locals and participation in community organizations.
Linguistic	Self-reported proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the host country's language.
Navigational	Ability to manage essential tasks like finding a doctor, searching for jobs, or understanding laws.
Political	Engagement with local political issues and participation in civic discussions or actions.

2. Methodology and Framework

The index is available in two formats to accommodate different research needs:

IPL-12 (Short Form): A 12-item questionnaire designed for quick implementation where survey space is limited.
IPL-24 (Long Form): A 24-item questionnaire providing higher precision and a more granular view of each dimension.

Guiding Principles

Integration vs. Assimilation: The index specifically measures integration—the acquisition of tools to succeed—rather than assimilation, which implies the loss of one's native culture.
Two-Way Process: It acknowledges that integration is influenced by both the effort of the refugee and the "opportunity structures" (legal rights, social openness) provided by the host country.
Global Applicability: The questions are phrased to be applicable across different countries and for various immigrant groups, including asylum seekers, resettled refugees, and undocumented migrants.

3. History and Development

The index was officially introduced in 2018 through a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It was authored by a team of researchers including David Laitin (Stanford) and Jens Hainmueller (Stanford/ETH Zurich), in collaboration with the Migration Observatory and COMPAS at the University of Oxford.

Partnerships

In 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered with the Immigration Policy Lab to adapt this index into a "Multidimensional Integration Measurement Toolkit." This collaboration aimed to standardize how NGOs and governments track refugee success globally.

4. Why It Matters

Before this index, researchers lacked a unified, cost-effective tool to compare integration across different regions. By providing a standardized score, the Oxford/IPL index allows:

Governments to evaluate the effectiveness of their settlement policies.
Nonprofits to identify which specific needs (e.g., navigational vs. social) are being underserved in their communities.
Researchers to conduct longitudinal studies to see how integration changes over decades.

Leading Countries in Refugee Integration

While the Oxford Refugee Integration Index (IPL Index) is a toolkit used by researchers to measure individual-level outcomes, its results are often aggregated to compare how different countries perform. In recent global assessments, several nations have consistently emerged as leaders due to their robust legal frameworks, inclusive social policies, and strong economic support systems.

The following rankings reflect the most current Multidimensional Scorecard for 2025, which combines the IPL dimensions with policy-based data from partner organizations like the Migration Policy Group.

2025 Integration Scorecard Rankings

This scorecard ranks countries on a scale of 0–100, where higher scores indicate more favorable conditions for long-term refugee integration across all six Oxford dimensions (Psychological, Economic, Social, Linguistic, Navigational, and Political).

Rank	Country	Flag	Score (Avg)	Primary Strength
1	Sweden	🇸🇪	86	Education & Linguistic Support
2	Finland	🇫🇮	85	Health & Permanent Residence
3	Portugal	🇵🇹	81	Family Reunification & Labor Market
4	Canada	🇨🇦	81	Universal Education & Social Inclusion
5	Germany	🇩🇪	78	Economic Integration & New Citizenship Laws
6	Norway	🇳🇴	74	Navigational Capacity & Welfare
7	New Zealand	🇳🇿	72	Community Sponsorship & Psychological Belonging

Regional Performance Analysis

🇪🇺 The European Leaders

Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland remain the global gold standard. Their high scores are driven by state-funded "Introduction Programs" that provide refugees with intensive language training and navigational guidance during their first two years. Germany saw a significant jump in its 2025 score following legislative reforms that shortened the path to citizenship and allowed for dual nationality.

🇨🇦 The North American Model

Canada continues to lead outside of Europe, particularly in the Social and Economic dimensions. Its unique "Private Sponsorship of Refugees" program is frequently cited by Oxford researchers as a key reason for high Psychological scores, as it provides newcomers with immediate social networks that facilitate faster integration.

🇦W Rising Stars in Latin America

Through the IPL-IOM partnership, recent data from Brazil and Argentina show a growing "favorable" trend. While these countries may have lower Economic scores due to regional market conditions, they often outperform European nations in the Political and Social dimensions due to more open-door residency policies and constitutional protections for migrants.

Key Trend: In 2025, a widening gap has been observed between "Pre-2004" EU members (averaging a score of 63) and newer member states (averaging 44), primarily due to differences in anti-discrimination protections and political participation rights.

Key Performance Indicators & Global Performance

The Oxford Refugee Integration Index utilizes specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to convert abstract social concepts into measurable data. By 2026, these KPIs have become the global benchmark for evaluating how effectively a nation transitions refugees from "surviving" to "thriving."

2026 Integration Scorecard

The following scorecard ranks the top-performing countries based on a composite of the Oxford IPL Index (individual outcomes) and the MIPEX 2025/2026 (policy frameworks). Scores are out of 100.

Rank	Country	Flag	Score	Leading KPI Strength
1	Sweden	🇸🇪	86	Linguistic Proficiency & Education
2	Finland	🇫🇮	85	Health Accessibility & Security
3	Portugal	🇵🇹	81	Family Reunification & Labor Rights
4	Canada	🇨🇦	81	Social Inclusion & Private Sponsorship
5	Germany	🇩🇪	78	Naturalization & Citizenship Path
6	Norway	🇳🇴	74	Navigational Support & Welfare
7	New Zealand	🇳🇿	72	Psychological Belonging & Community

Defining the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Oxford Index measures success through specific, actionable KPIs within its six core dimensions. These indicators allow for direct comparison between vastly different national systems.

1. The "Naturalization" KPI (Political & Psychological)

Definition: The time elapsed between arrival and eligibility for full citizenship.
Leader: 🇩🇪 Germany. Following reforms in 2025, the residency requirement was slashed from 8 years to 5 years (and 3 years for "exceptional integration").
Impact: A shorter path to citizenship significantly increases a refugee's "belonging" score, as it provides a permanent stake in the country's future.

2. The "Introduction Program" KPI (Linguistic & Navigational)

Definition: Participation rate and completion of state-sponsored language and civic orientation.
Leader: 🇸🇪 Sweden. Nearly 90% of refugees are enrolled in SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) within their first quarter of arrival.
Impact: High performance here correlates with a 30% reduction in long-term reliance on social services, as refugees gain the capacity to navigate systems independently.

3. The "Labor Market Mobility" KPI (Economic)

Definition: The rate at which foreign-earned credentials (degrees/certifications) are recognized by the host country.
Leader: 🇵🇹 Portugal. Portugal’s streamlined "Skills Validation" system allows refugees to enter their professional fields faster than in almost any other EU state.
Impact: This prevents "brain waste" and ensures refugees contribute to the economy at their highest potential level.

Critical Gaps in 2026

Despite the success of top-tier nations, the global data for 2026 reveals two major "Integration Deficits":

Political Participation: This remains the lowest-scoring KPI globally (average 37/100). Most countries still offer zero voting rights or consultative power to refugees, even after years of residence.
The "Post-2004" Divide: There is a stark 20-point gap between established Western democracies (Avg: 63) and newer member states/emerging host nations (Avg: 44), largely due to weaker anti-discrimination laws.

Note on 2026 Trends: The "Ukraine Spillover" effect—where special digital tools were created for Ukrainian refugees—has led to a permanent improvement in Navigational KPIs across Eastern Europe as those systems are now being expanded to all displaced groups.

Global Stakeholders & Governance

The implementation and evolution of the Oxford Refugee Integration Index are driven by a multi-layered network of academic institutions, intergovernmental bodies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These entities work in tandem to collect data, refine metrics, and translate survey results into actionable national policies.

Organizational Landscape

The following table outlines the primary organizations responsible for the development, funding, and global rollout of the integration index as of 2026.

Organization	Symbol/Role	Key Contribution
Immigration Policy Lab (IPL)	🔬	The primary research engine; developed the core IPL-12 and IPL-24 survey tools.
University of Oxford (COMPAS)	🎓	Provides the theoretical framework and European policy alignment via the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society.
IOM (UN Migration)	🇺🇳	The global implementation partner; integrated the index into the "Multidimensional Integration Toolkit."
Stanford University	🌲	Leads the data science and longitudinal modeling for North American refugee cohorts.
ETH Zurich	🇨🇭	Manages the European data repository and develops AI-driven placement algorithms for refugees.
Migration Policy Group (MPG)	⚖️	Cross-references IPL data with legal frameworks to produce the global scorecard rankings.
National Refugee Councils	🤝	Local NGOs (e.g., NRC, DRC) that conduct the "on-the-ground" surveys with displaced populations.

Collaborative Functions

The success of the index relies on a "Cyclical Feedback Loop" between these organizations:

1. Academic Innovation (Oxford, Stanford, ETH Zurich)

These institutions act as the Scientific Core. They ensure the survey questions are statistically valid and culturally sensitive. By 2026, they have refined the index to include "Climate Displacement" as a factor, acknowledging the changing nature of global migration.

2. Global Implementation (IOM & UN Migration)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the primary "scaler." They take the academic framework and deploy it in over 100 countries. This ensures that a refugee’s integration score in Bogotá can be directly compared to one in Berlin using the same standardized KPIs.

3. Policy Integration (Migration Policy Group & COMPAS)

These organizations bridge the gap between data and law. They use the scores generated by the IPL Index to lobby governments for specific changes, such as:

Streamlining foreign credential recognition.
Implementing "earned" residency programs based on social and linguistic milestones.
Expanding community sponsorship models based on successful Canadian and New Zealand data.

2026 Funding and Support

By 2026, the index is largely supported by a consortium of private foundations (such as the Open Society Foundations) and public grants from the European Research Council (ERC). This funding ensures that the tool remains "Open Access," allowing even small municipal governments to use the survey at no cost to measure their local integration success.

Institutional Note: The shift in 2025 toward digital-first surveying has allowed these organizations to collect real-time data via mobile apps, drastically reducing the cost of longitudinal studies that follow refugees over 10+ years.

Data Sources & Collection Methodology

The Oxford Refugee Integration Index (IPL Index) is built upon a foundation of primary and secondary data. By 2026, the data architecture has evolved from simple paper surveys to a sophisticated, multi-source system that integrates real-time digital responses with traditional administrative records.

Data Source Matrix

The following table categorizes the diverse streams of information that feed into the index to ensure its accuracy and global comparability.

Data Category	Symbol	Primary Source	Type of Information
Direct Surveying	📝	IPL-12 and IPL-24 Questionnaires	Self-reported feelings of belonging, language skills, and social ties.
Administrative Records	📂	National Registries & Credit Bureaus	Verified employment status, income levels, and tax contributions.
Policy Databases	⚖️	MIPEX (Migration Policy Group)	Legal frameworks, anti-discrimination laws, and citizenship paths.
Digital Footprints	📱	WhatsApp & Mobile App Pilots	Real-time "Navigational" data on service access and movement patterns.
Longitudinal Panels	⏳	IOM & NGO Field Studies	Tracking the same refugee cohorts over 3, 5, and 10-year intervals.
Historical Data	📜	GeoMatch Algorithms	Machine learning patterns used to predict employment outcomes.

The Collection Process

The reliability of the index stems from its rigorous, iterative collection methods which are standardized across all participating countries.

1. The Core Survey (IPL-12/24)

The "heart" of the data is the standardized survey. Researchers at Stanford and Oxford developed these questions by testing over 200 items against thousands of interviews.

Reliability Check: The questions are designed to be "directionally neutral," meaning they measure capacity (e.g., "Can you read a doctor's note?") rather than cultural assimilation (e.g., "Do you celebrate local holidays?").

2. Triangulation with Administrative Data

To prevent "self-reporting bias," the index—where legal—matches survey responses with anonymized administrative records.

Example: A respondent’s self-reported "Economic" score can be validated against anonymized credit bureau data or social security contributions, providing a highly accurate view of financial stability.

[Image showing the "Data Triangulation" model: Survey Data + Administrative Records + Policy Frameworks = Final Integration Score]

3. Real-Time "Digital Integration" Data

By 2026, the use of WhatsApp-based surveying and mobile apps has become a standard for reaching "hard-to-count" populations.

Dynamic Feedback: In regions like Latin America (Colombia) and the Middle East (Lebanon), researchers use these digital tools to gather monthly snapshots. This allows the index to reflect sudden changes, such as the impact of an economic crisis or a global pandemic, on refugee integration levels in real-time.

Ethical Standards & Data Privacy

Given the vulnerability of refugee populations, all data collection follows strict Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols:

Informed Consent: All participants must actively opt-in.
Anonymization: Personal identifiers are removed before data is shared with the central ETH Zurich repository.
Safe Mode: In high-risk political environments, the "Political" dimension of the survey can be omitted to protect respondents from state surveillance.

Conclusion: The Future of Integration Measurement

As of 2026, the Oxford Refugee Integration Index has shifted the global conversation from "How many refugees have we settled?" to "How effectively are those refugees able to participate in society?" By standardizing the measurement of human potential across six dimensions, the index provides a roadmap for more humane and economically sound migration policies.

Summary of Impact

Evidence-Based Policy: Governments are increasingly using the LSE-validated financial models (which show that integration benefits outweigh costs within just three years) to justify investments in language and employment support.
Shift to Localisation: Data from the 2025–2026 cycle shows that integration is most successful when managed at the local level. This has led to the rise of "Regional Integration Hubs" that use IPL data to tailor services to specific community needs.
Beyond Economic Metrics: By elevating Psychological and Navigational scores to the same level as employment data, the index has forced a re-evaluation of mental health and social belonging as "hard" economic indicators.

Challenges and 2026 Outlook

Despite its success, the index faces ongoing challenges in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape:

The "North-South" Bias: Researchers are actively working to de-center the Global North in integration studies, ensuring that the index remains relevant for South-South migration (e.g., Venezuelan displacement in Latin America or Sudanese displacement in East Africa).
Climate Displacement: As of 2026, the Immigration Policy Lab is piloting new "Resilience Indicators" to account for the unique integration needs of those displaced by climate change, who may not have a "home" to return to.
Political Volatility: In countries with record-low refugee caps, the index serves as a critical tool for NGOs to demonstrate the "lost potential" and social costs of restrictive resettlement policies.

Final Thought: The Oxford Index proves that integration is not a zero-sum game. When refugees are given the navigational and linguistic tools to succeed, the "host" nation gains a more resilient, tax-paying, and socially connected population.