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.

There have never been as many internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world as now. The United Nations registered about 32 million refugees and 67 million IDPs in 2024. The numbers for both have been increasing over the last decade. Especially the internally displaced persons worldwide has been heavily increasing recently, with a sharp increase in the years after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. In 2022, Ukraine was the country in the world with the highest number of IDPs.

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.

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.

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.

This dataset provides detailed statistics on the movements and status of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other individuals of concern to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 2019 to 2024. 📊 It covers various categories such as refugees under UNHCR's mandate, asylum-seekers, returned refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returned IDPs, stateless persons, and others of concern. The data is disaggregated by the country of origin and the country of asylum, offering a comprehensive view of global refugee and asylum trends. 🌍

Data Source: Extracted from: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 🏦 Data Link: UNHCR Data Portal

Key Features: Year: The year of the data. Country of Origin: The country from which the individuals are originating. Country of Asylum: The country where the individuals are seeking refuge. Refugees: The number of refugees under UNHCR's mandate. Asylum-Seekers: The number of individuals seeking asylum. Returned Refugees: The number of individuals who have returned to their country of origin. IDPs of Concern to UNHCR: The number of internally displaced persons of concern to UNHCR. Returned IDPs: The number of internally displaced persons who returned. ** Stateless Persons**: The number of stateless individuals. Others of Concern: The number of other individuals of concern to UNHCR. Other People in Need of International Protection: The number of other people in need of international protection. Host Community: The number of individuals in the host community.

Potential Use Cases: Research and Analysis: Analyze global trends in refugee and asylum-seeker movements. 📈 Policy Making: Inform policy decisions and humanitarian aid efforts. 🛠️ Data Visualization: Create visualizations to better understand the distribution and movement of refugees and asylum-seekers. 📊 Educational Purposes: Use the data to teach about global migration patterns and humanitarian issues. 📚

The World Refugee and IDPs layer present data on refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and hosted refugees globally from 2001 to 2023.The data is sourced from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to present accurate and up-to-date information on the displacement crisis worldwide.. However, users should note that the data might not always be completely accurate due to the complexities of data collection in conflict and displacement situations.

Syrians fleeing conflict and violence are being internally and externally displaced. This map identifies IDP sites in Syria, official refugee camp locations in Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq, as well as areas in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq where sizable concentrations of Syrians are living in urban areas. It also shows numbers of externally displaced Syrians reported in the neighboring countries, as well as in Egypt and North Africa with charts to illustrate numbers of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries and living in camps or outside camps.

The statistic shows the number of refugees worldwide from 2001 to 2019. At the end of 2019, 43.5 million people were internally displaced worldwide.

Internally displaced persons are people or groups of individuals who have been forced to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, and who have not crossed an international border.

International projects aimed at training Syrian refugees in some disciplines, including agriculture and other fields.

This dataset gives detailed information about the demographic information of refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) between 2019 and 2024. It can be used for various forms of analysis such as trend analysis (i.e. tracking displacement trends over time globally), time series forecasting (predicting future refugee numbers), geospatial analysis (i.e. highlighting hotspots for displacement or humanitarian crises), and segmentation (i.e. identifying patterns in refugee hosting vs. originating countries).

The current worldwide refugee crisis is often referred to as the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of forcibly displaced persons passed the threshold of 60 million people in 2015, and the numbers have continued to rise ever since. While stories of the crisis are ubiquitous in the news, the discussion around the refugee crisis is often clouded by partisanship and misinformation. By mapping and analyzing data from an authoritative source, we can begin to understand what is happening in our world and break down the barriers that are created by dishonest discussions about humans seeking refuge.

Child migrants and refugees (international migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons), including country and regional breakdown

Refugee Processing Management Platforms Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the refugee processing management platforms market size reached USD 1.47 billion globally in 2024, driven by increasing global displacement and the urgent need for efficient, technology-driven solutions in refugee management. The market is projected to grow at a robust CAGR of 13.8% from 2025 to 2033, reaching a forecasted value of USD 4.29 billion by the end of the forecast period. This expansion is propelled by the rising adoption of digital technologies by governments, NGOs, and international organizations to streamline refugee processing, improve service delivery, and ensure compliance with international protection standards.

One of the primary growth factors for the refugee processing management platforms market is the escalating number of forcibly displaced individuals worldwide. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the global refugee population surpassed 35 million in 2024, putting immense pressure on host countries and humanitarian agencies to process and manage refugee cases efficiently. Traditional paper-based or fragmented digital systems have proven inadequate in addressing the complexities of modern refugee crises, necessitating the integration of robust, end-to-end platforms. These platforms offer comprehensive functionalities such as case management, identity verification, resource allocation, and analytics, significantly reducing processing times, minimizing errors, and improving overall outcomes for both refugees and administrative bodies.

Another significant driver is the increasing emphasis on data security, transparency, and compliance in humanitarian operations. As refugee data is highly sensitive, there is a growing demand for platforms that incorporate advanced security protocols, encryption, and access controls. Additionally, international donors and regulatory bodies are mandating greater accountability and traceability in the allocation of aid and resources. This has led to a surge in the deployment of digital platforms capable of real-time reporting, monitoring, and analytics, empowering organizations to optimize resource utilization, identify gaps, and demonstrate impact. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning is further enhancing the predictive capabilities of these platforms, enabling proactive decision-making and more targeted interventions.

Moreover, the increasing collaboration between governments, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies has catalyzed the adoption of interoperable refugee processing management platforms. These collaborations aim to create unified systems that facilitate seamless information sharing, coordinated response efforts, and holistic refugee support. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated digital transformation in the humanitarian sector, highlighting the need for remote processing, virtual case management, and contactless identity verification. As a result, there is a notable shift towards cloud-based solutions, which offer scalability, remote accessibility, and cost-effectiveness, especially for organizations operating in resource-constrained environments.

Regionally, North America and Europe remain at the forefront of the refugee processing management platforms market, driven by substantial government investments, advanced digital infrastructure, and stringent regulatory frameworks. However, the Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa regions are emerging as high-growth markets due to increasing refugee inflows, ongoing conflicts, and the proactive engagement of international agencies. These regions are witnessing rapid adoption of digital platforms, supported by donor funding and public-private partnerships aimed at enhancing refugee protection and integration. Latin America, while representing a smaller share, is also experiencing steady growth, particularly in countries affected by migration crises.

Component Analysis

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Background: As refugee numbers grow worldwide, understanding prevalence and determinants of mental illness in this population becomes increasingly important.Methods: We used longitudinal data to examine the initial years of resettlement in Australian refugees with a focus on ethnic-like social support. Three annual waves from a longitudinal, nationally representative cohort of 2,399 humanitarian migrants recently resettled in Australia were examined for two mental illness outcomes: post-traumatic stress disorder indicated by positive PTSD-8 screen and “high risk of severe mental illness” (HR-SMI) by Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) ≥19. Generalized linear mixed models examined demographic and resettlement factors.Findings: Contrary to predictions, high prevalence of positive screens for mental illness persisted over 3 years. At baseline, 30.3% (95% CI, 28.5–32.2) screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 15.4% (95% CI, 14.0–16.9) had HR-SMI. Over the 3 years, 52.2% met screening criteria for mental illness. PTSD was associated with older age, females, Middle Eastern birthplace, increasing traumatic events, more financial hardships, having a chronic health condition, and poor self-rated health. HR-SMI was associated with females, Middle Eastern birthplace, unstable housing, more financial hardships, having a chronic health condition, poor self-rated health, and discrimination. Also contrary to predictions, like-ethnic social support was positively associated with PTSD (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.10–2.09).Interpretation: There is high prevalence of positive screens for mental illness throughout initial years of resettlement for refugees migrating to Australia. Our unexpected finding regarding like-ethnic social support raises future avenues for research. Predictors of mental illness in the post-migration context represent tangible opportunities for intervention and are likely relevant to similar resettlement settings globally.

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.

This repository provides replication data and code for "Refugees are Hosted in Highly Vulnerable Communities."AbstractIn 2023, a staggering 110 million individuals endured forced displacement due to persecution, conflict, and violence (UNHCR, 2023). They faced formidable challenges, including persecution, trauma, and hunger.Globally, refugee hosting is extremely unequal. Low- and middle-income countries host 76% of the world’s refugee population (UNHCR, 2022). Among the ten countries hosting the most refugees (see Table 1), only Germany qualifies as high-income under World Bank classifications.This inequality has large implications. Economically, host countries may lack the resources and infrastructure to support refugee communities (Maystadt et al., 2019). Hosting can strain food supplies, natural resources, and public services (WFP, 2013a,b), potentially leading to political backlash (Rozo and Vargas, 2021).This study uses original and existing data to explore whether inequality in refugee hosting also exists within countries, focusing on the location of Rohingya refugee camps within Bangladesh. We find that the district hosting refugees was economically deprived compared to the national average, and within the host district, the micro-regions closest to refugee camps were disadvantaged relative to other micro-regions.

Abstract

Nine years into the Syria conflict, Lebanon remains at the forefront of one of the worst humanitarian crises. The economic downturn, steep inflation, COVID-19 and finally the Beirut blast have pushed vulnerable communities in Lebanon - including Syrian refugees - to the brink, with thousands of families sinking further into poverty.

The Government of Lebanon (GoL) estimates that the country hosts 1.5 million1 of the 6.6 million Syrians who have fled the conflict since 2011 (including 879,529 registered with UNHCR as of end of September 2020 ). The Syrian refugee population in Lebanon remains one of the largest concentration of refugees per capita in the world.

The 2020 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) was the eighth annual survey assessing the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to identify changes and trends in their vulnerabilities. Given the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon, most assessments and other activities requiring in person visits were either cancelled or postponed. Considering the prolonged socio-economic status in Lebanon and COVID-19, it was crucial to provide needs-based estimates on Syrian refugees in the country. Thus, the VASyR 2020 was one of the few assessments that were conducted face-to-face; the implementation was accompanied by a comprehensive protocol to ensure the safety of families and field workers. The criticality of conducting the VASyR 2020 was to provide insights about Syrian refugees impacted by the political and economic crisis that hit Lebanon in late 2019 and by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Household and individual

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sampling for the VASyR follows a two-stage cluster approach, keeping with the methodology of previous years. UNHCR database of known Syrian refugees as of June 2020 served as the sample frame. Cases with missing addresses were excluded. Sampling was based on a "30 x 7" two-stage cluster scheme initially developed by the World Health Organization. This method outlines a sample size of 30 clusters per geographical area and seven households per cluster which provides a precision of +/- 10 percentage points. Districts were considered as the geographical level within which 30 clusters were selected. There are 26 districts in Lebanon, where Beirut and Akkar each represent a district and a governorate. As such, to ensure similar representativeness with other governorates, an additional two cluster samples were considered for each, yielding 90 cluster selections for each. The governorate of Baalbek Hermel is made up of only two districts, as such, and to ensure an adequate sample in that governorate, one additional cluster sample was considered.

The primary sampling unit was defined as the village level (i.e. cluster) and UNHCR cases served as the secondary sampling unit. A case was defined as a group of people who are identified together as one unit (usually immediate family/household) under UNHCR databases. Using Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) software, villages were selected using probability proportionate to size where villages with a larger concentration of refugees was more likely to be selected and 30 clusters/villages were selected with four replacement clusters, per district.

In order to estimate the sample size needed to generate results that are representative on a district, governorate and national level, the following assumptions were used: - 50% estimated prevalence - 10% precision - 1.5 design effect - 5% margin of error

Using the above parameters, 165 cases per district/cluster selection was required, leading to a target of 5,115 cases nationally. Due to the known high level of mobility of the Syrian refugee population and based on experience in previous rounds of VASyR and other household level surveys, a 40% non-response rate was considered.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The 2020 VASyR questionnaire consisted of around 580 questions that collected data at the household level and individual level including demographics, legal documentation, safety and security, shelter, WASH, health, food security, livelihoods, expenditures, food consumption, debt, coping strategies and assistance, as well as questions specifically relating to women, children and people with disabilities.

Why do countries welcome some refugees and treat others poorly? Existing explanations suggest that the assistance refugees receive is a reflection of countries’ wealth or compassion. However, statistical analysis of a global dataset on asylum admissions shows that states’ approaches to refugees are shaped by foreign policy and ethnic politics. States admit refugees from adversaries in order to weaken those regimes, but they are reluctant to accept refugees from friendly states. At the same time, policymakers favour refugee groups who share their ethnic identity. Aside from addressing a puzzling real-world phenomenon, this article adds insights to the literature on the politics of migration and asylum.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of International Association for Refugees