As of the end of 2024, Iran was the largest refugee-hosting country in the world. According to data available by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, there were nearly 3.5 million refugees in Iran. Turkey was second with more than 2.9 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.

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;

Graph and download economic data for Refugee Population by Country or Territory of Asylum for Countries with Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations (SMPOPREFGFCS) from 1990 to 2023 about refugee, World, and population.

As of the end of 2024, Syria had the highest number of refugees who had fled the country. That year, about 5.95 million refugees had left the country, mainly due to the civil war that started in 2011. The second highest number of refugees in the world came from Afghanistan after years of civil wars, instability, and the Taliban regaining power in 2021. Third on the list is Ukraine, after almost six million people left the country since Russia's invasion in February 2022. 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 2024, 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.

Graph and download economic data for Refugee Population by Country or Territory of Asylum for Israel (SMPOPREFGISR) from 1998 to 2023 about refugee, Israel, World, and population.

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;

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.

Andorra AD: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 5.000 Person in 2022. This stayed constant from the previous number of 5.000 Person for 2015. Andorra AD: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 5.000 Person from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2022, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.000 Person in 2007 and a record low of 5.000 Person in 2022. Andorra AD: 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 Andorra – Table AD.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;

Since the 1950s, the number of forcibly displaced persons recognized by the United Nations has increased drastically; from around 2.1 million international refugees in 1951 to almost 123 million displaced persons in total in 2023. Annual figures are not reflective of the actual number of forcibly displaced people in the world, but rather the number of people identified as such by the UN. Preliminary figures for 2024 show that this figure may now reach the 125 million mark, with major new crises in Sudan and Palestine sending this figure higher, after the Russia-Ukraine War pushed this figure past 100 million people for the first time in 2022. UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded in 1950 to deal with the large number of displaced persons in Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. Since then, the scale and geographical scope of its operations has broadened significantly, as it works to provide humanitarian aid, logistical support, and long-term solutions to crises across the globe. The UNHCR played an instrumental role in facilitating or limiting the impact of many decolonization movements across Africa and Asia in the late 20th century, and, in recent decades, it has provided much-needed assistance in conflict areas, such as the Balkans in the 1990s, Afghanistan since the 2000s, and more recently in Syria and Yemen. Alongside the UNHCR, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to provide similar assistance programs for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, and it is currently operational in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the State of Palestine, but its future remains uncertain after the Israeli parliament revoked its license to operate in the country in October 2024. Long-term crises Persistent instability in Sub-Saharan Africa has also been a major area of focus throughout the UNHCR's history, as economic and structural underdevelopment, alongside conflict and political instability, has created several refugee crises that are now in their fourth decade. While countries such as Colombia, Germany, and Turkey have, to varying degrees, successfully managed refugee crises in recent years, the economies of most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are not equipped to do so. Displacement has placed a great strain on several regions' already-struggling resources, and these are now also being affected by climate change. Countries such as Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda are home to camps or camp networks that house several hundred thousand refugees, with some of the largest in Kenya being established in the early 1990s.

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.

In 2024, Turkey was the country that hosted the highest number of Syrian refugees, amounting up to 2.9 million refugees. Lebanon was second, hosting 755,426 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.

As of mid-2024, there were a total of nearly *** million refugees under the UNHCR's mandate living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Of these, the highest number was found in Lebanon, reaching nearly *******. Jordan followed behind with *******. At the same time, the highest number of refugees in the world came from Syria, which borders both Lebanon and Jordan.

United Kingdom UK: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data was reported at 118,913.000 Person in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 123,067.000 Person for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Asylum data is updated yearly, averaging 148,922.000 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 303,181.000 Person in 2005 and a record low of 43,371.000 Person in 1991. United Kingdom UK: 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 UK – Table UK.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 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 the United Kingdom (SMPOPREFGGBR) from 1960 to 2023 about refugee, United Kingdom, World, and population.

As of the end of 2024, nearly *** million refugees from Afghanistan were residing in neighboring Iran, making it the most common sender-host refugee route worldwide. Refugees tend to seek refuge in countries nearby, with Syrians predominantly seeking refuge in Turkey and Lebanon, and Ukrainians mostly in Poland and Germany. Looking only at where the refugees come from, the largest number comes from Syria, with Ukraine and Afghanistan behind.

Germany has long been involved with international asylum applications, especially in recent years. The most applications came from Syrian asylum seekers. These was followed by applications from Afghanistan and Turkey. Germany as a refuge choice Statistics on the number of asylum applicants in Germany are recorded by the BAMF, or the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has decreased refugee numbers in Europe, with travel bans across modes of transport and borders being closed. As the restrictions begin to lift, migration is beginning again. 2023 saw the highest number of applications for asylum since 2016. However, in 2024, numbers have decreased significanly again. Support for refugees remains a present issue, fraught with tension, legal complications and surrounded by constant debate with many believing that not enough is done to support them. Asylum decisions Not all asylum applications in Germany get accepted, due to various circumstances. Besides rejection, decisions regarding asylum may involve granting a legal status as a refugee, a grant of subsidiary protection or determining a deportation ban.

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 total number of refugees worldwide has increased significantly since 2012, underlining an increasing intensity in violent conflicts over the past decade. The number of people that sought refuge in European countries rose from ************* in 2021 to more than ************ in 2024, partly as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By comparison, the numbers were *********** in the Americas and *********** in Asia and the Pacific. As of the end of 2022, the highest number of refugees in the world came from Syria.

Graph and download economic data for Refugee Population by Country or Territory of Asylum for Croatia (SMPOPREFGHRV) from 1992 to 2023 about refugee, Croatia, World, and population.

Graph and download economic data for Refugee Population by Country or Territory of Asylum for Cyprus (SMPOPREFGCYP) from 1968 to 2023 about refugee, Cyprus, World, and population.