As of mid-2024, Iran was the largest refugee-hosting country in the world. According to data available by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, there were nearly 3.8 million refugees in Iran. Turkey was second with more than 3.1 million. The data refers to the total number of refugees in a given country, not considering the date of their application for asylum or the date of their flight.

Over 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion fled to Germany as of April 2025. Furthermore, the second-highest number was recorded in Poland. In total, around 5.1 million Ukrainian refugees were registered across Europe and 5.6 million worldwide as of May 2025. Most of them fled the country by crossing the border with Poland. Ukrainian refugees in Germany The first increases in the number of Ukrainian refugees in Germany were registered in March and April 2022. The figure exceeded one million refugees in September of that year. Germany had the highest monthly financial allowance for Ukrainians who fled the war compared to other European countries as of June 2022. Temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees in the EU European Union (EU) members implemented the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which guaranteed access to accommodation, welfare, and healthcare to refugees from Ukraine. People fleeing the war had a right to a residence permit in the EU, enter the labor market, and enroll children in educational institutions. The protection is granted until March 4, 2026, but it can be extended in the future depending on the situation in the country.

As of mid-2024, Syria had the highest number of refugees who had fled the country. That year, about 6.25 million refugees had left the country, mainly due to the civil war that started in 2011. Second on the list is Ukraine after over six million people left the country since Russia's invasion in February 2022. The third highest number of refugees in the world came from Afghanistan after years of civil wars, instability, and Taliban regaining power in 2021. What are refugees? Refugees are people who have been forced to leave their country because of dangerous circumstances, such as war, violence, famine, or persecution. These circumstances arise from race, religious, ethnic, and/or political persecution, and refugees are unable to return to their home countries due to these conflicts. As of 2022, Turkey hosted the largest number of Syrian refugees. Refugees worldwide The number of refugees, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers worldwide has significantly increased since 2012, much due to the civil wars in Syria and Libya that started in 2011, but also due to increasing instability in the Sahel, the Sudan civil war, the Israel-Hamas war, and the Russia-Ukraine war. An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to leave their home but still stays in their country. They are not legally considered a refugee. Asylum seekers are people who leave their home country and enter another country to apply for asylum, which is internationally recognized protection.

United States US: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 285.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 310.000 Person for 2016. United States US: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 374.500 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,987.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 1.000 Person in 1990. United States US: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of origin generally refers to the nationality or country of citizenship of a claimant.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

In 2024, Turkey was the country that hosted the highest amount of Syrian refugees, amounting up to 3.1 million refugees. Lebanon was second, hosting 775,000 Syrian refugees. The data refers to the total number of Syrian refugees in a given country, not considering the date of their application for asylum or the date of their flight.

Hungary HU: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 3,331.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,909.000 Person for 2016. Hungary HU: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 2,709.000 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,767.000 Person in 1990 and a record low of 518.000 Person in 2000. Hungary HU: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hungary – Table HU.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of origin generally refers to the nationality or country of citizenship of a claimant.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

Norway NO: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 10.000 Person in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.000 Person for 2015. Norway NO: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 4.000 Person from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2016, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 Person in 2005 and a record low of 1.000 Person in 1996. Norway NO: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of origin generally refers to the nationality or country of citizenship of a claimant.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 209.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 162.000 Person for 2022. Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 162.000 Person from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2023, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,297.000 Person in 1999 and a record low of 5.000 Person in 1992. Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of origin generally refers to the nationality or country of citizenship of a claimant.;United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Refugee Data Finder at https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/.;Sum;

Historical chart and dataset showing France refugee statistics by year from 1960 to 2023.

Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data was reported at 2,593,007.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,075,445.000 Person for 2022. Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data is updated yearly, averaging 580,792.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,593,007.000 Person in 2023 and a record low of 83,500.000 Person in 1978. Germany DE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.;United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNRWA through UNHCR's Refugee Data Finder at https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/.;Sum;

Poland PL: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 1,108.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,159.000 Person for 2016. Poland PL: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 3,053.000 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35,938.000 Person in 1994 and a record low of 865.000 Person in 2000. Poland PL: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Poland – Table PL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of origin generally refers to the nationality or country of citizenship of a claimant.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

This comprehensive dataset presents the global refugee landscape by providing a detailed overview of refugee and displacement statistics from various countries and territories over a span of time. With a total of 107,980 rows and 11 columns, this dataset delves into the complexities of forced migration and human displacement, offering insights into the movements of refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returned refugees and IDPs, stateless individuals, and other populations of concern.

Columns in the dataset:

• Year: The year of data collection.
• Country / territory of asylum/residence: The host country or territory where refugees seek asylum or residence.
• Origin: The country of origin from which refugees are fleeing.
• Refugees (incl. refugee-like situations): The number of refugees, including those in refugee-like situations.
• Asylum-seekers (pending cases): The count of individuals seeking asylum whose cases are pending.
• Returned refugees: The number of refugees who have returned to their country of origin.
• Internally displaced persons (IDPs): The count of people who have been displaced within their own country due to conflict or other reasons.
• Returned IDPs: The number of internally displaced persons who have returned to their previous locations.
• Stateless persons: Individuals who do not have the legal recognition of any country.
• Others of concern: Additional populations in need of humanitarian assistance.
• Total Population: The sum of all above categories, representing the overall population affected by displacement. The dataset serves as a valuable resource for studying global refugee trends, assessing the impact of conflicts and crises on displacement, and understanding the challenges faced by vulnerable populations worldwide.

Visualization Ideas: Time Series Analysis: Plot the trends in different refugee populations over the years, such as refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, returned refugees, etc. Geographic Analysis: Create heatmaps or choropleth maps to visualize refugee flows between different countries and regions. Origin and Destination Analysis: Show the top countries of origin and the top host countries for refugees using bar charts. Pie Charts: Visualize the distribution of different refugee populations (refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, etc.) as a percentage of the total population. Stacked Area Chart: Display the cumulative total of different refugee populations over time to observe changes and trends.

Data Modeling and Machine Learning Ideas: Time Series Forecasting: Use machine learning algorithms like ARIMA or LSTM to predict future refugee trends based on historical data. Clustering: Group countries based on similar refugee patterns using clustering algorithms such as K-Means or DBSCAN. Classification: Build a classification model to predict whether a country will experience a significant increase in refugee inflow based on historical and socio-political factors. Sentiment Analysis: Analyze social media or news data to determine the sentiment around refugee-related topics and how it correlates with migration patterns. Network Analysis: Construct a network graph to visualize the connections and interactions between countries in terms of refugee flows.

These visualization and modeling ideas can provide meaningful insights into the global refugee crisis and aid in decision-making, policy formulation, and humanitarian efforts.

The average for 2023 based on 7 countries was 69354 refugees. The highest value was in India: 252867 refugees and the lowest value was in Vietnam: 19 refugees. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In the fiscal year of 2024, about 5,225 refugees arrived in the United States from Afghanistan, making it the greatest source of refugees admitted to the U.S. The total number of refugee arrivals in the U.S. amounted to 27,308 during the same FY.

The average for 2023 based on 27 countries was 272670 refugees. The highest value was in Germany: 2593007 refugees and the lowest value was in Slovenia: 10525 refugees. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Series Name: Number of refugees per 100 000 population by country of origin (per 100 000 population)Series Code: SM_POP_REFG_ORRelease Version: 2021.Q2.G.03 This dataset is part of the Global SDG Indicator Database compiled through the UN System in preparation for the Secretary-General's annual report on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.Indicator 10.7.4: Proportion of the population who are refugees, by country of originTarget 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policiesGoal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countriesFor more information on the compilation methodology of this dataset, see https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/

Resettled refugees who arrived in Canada as part of the Government of Canada's Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program. Datasets include resettled refugees who have received settlement services. Please note that in these datasets, the figures have been suppressed or rounded to prevent the identification of individuals when the datasets are compiled and compared with other publicly available statistics. Values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--“ and all other values are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. This may result to the sum of the figures not equating to the totals indicated.

Sweden SE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data was reported at 240,899.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 230,164.000 Person for 2016. Sweden SE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data is updated yearly, averaging 136,633.000 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 240,899.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 73,408.000 Person in 2004. Sweden SE: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

Syria SY: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data was reported at 569,774.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 562,823.000 Person for 2016. Syria SY: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data is updated yearly, averaging 427,424.500 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,955,236.000 Person in 2007 and a record low of 284,856.000 Person in 1990. Syria SY: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.; ; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Statistics Database, Statistical Yearbook and data files, complemented by statistics on Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the UNRWA as published on its website. Data from UNHCR are available online at: www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html.; Sum;

Graph and download economic data for Refugee Population by Country or Territory of Asylum for Low Income Countries (SMPOPREFGLIC) from 1990 to 2023 about refugee, World, income, and population.