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.

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.

Abstract

The Syrian crisis has caused one of the largest episodes of forced displacement since World War II and some of the densest refugee-hosting situations in modern history. Syria's immediate neighbors host the bulk of Syrian refugees. The host countries were dealing with impact of inflow of refugees as well as consequences of the Syrian conflict such as disruption on trade and economic activity and growth and spread of the Islamic State. This survey was designed to generate comparable findings on the lives and livelihoods of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Kurdistan, Iraq.

The goals of the survey originally were: - to assess the socio-economic and living conditions of a representative sample of the Syrian refugee and host community population. - to understand the implications in terms of social and economic conditions on the host communities. - to identify strategies to support Syrian refugees and host communities in the immediate and longer term.

Geographic coverage

Syrian refugee and host community in Lebanon

Analysis unit

Refugee household and individual

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Conducting a representative survey in Lebanon was especially challenging. The first difficulty was that, as of 2015, there was no recent or reliable sample frame, even for Lebanese households, as the last official population census was conducted in 1932. Typically, such a sample frame consists of the universe of enumeration areas in a country, with associated estimates of population. This meant that we had to construct our own sample frame by selecting a few Small Area Units (SAUs) and then conducting a full listing operation by visiting every household within the selected SAUs and collecting basic demographic and contact information. The second difficulty was that there was no available cartographic division of the country into geographic areas small enough to be the subject of a full listing operation, which could then serve as a sampling frame for the SAUs. Circonscription Foncières (CF) were the finest level of disaggregation available; CFs are generally too large to be listed as some have populations of over 100,000. Finally, there was no available sampling frame for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which meant that we had to depend on UNHCR data on registered Syrian refugees, combined with the estimates of Lebanese population at the CF level. Given these challenges and time and budgetary constraints, the sample was selected in multiple (four) stages as described Section 2 of "Survey Design and Sampling: A methodology note for the 2015-16 surveys of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Kurdistan, Iraq" document.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey instrument was administered across Lebanon, Jordan, and KRI, with slight modifications depending on the structure of refugee living conditions. The survey includes detailed questions on demographics, employment, access to public services, health, migration, and perceptions.

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;

Abstract

The Syrian crisis has caused one of the largest episodes of forced displacement since World War II and some of the densest refugee-hosting situations in modern history. Syria's immediate neighbors host the bulk of Syrian refugees. The host countries were dealing with impact of inflow of refugees as well as consequences of the Syrian conflict such as disruption on trade and economic activity and growth and spread of the Islamic State. This survey was designed to generate comparable findings on the lives and livelihoods of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Kurdistan, Iraq.

The goals of the survey originally were: - to assess the socio-economic and living conditions of a representative sample of the Syrian refugee and host community population. - to understand the implications in terms of social and economic conditions on the host communities. - to identify strategies to support Syrian refugees and host communities in the immediate and longer term.

Geographic coverage

Syrian refugee and host community in Kurdistan, Iraq

Analysis unit

Refugee household and individual

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Conducting a representative survey in Lebanon was especially challenging. The first difficulty was that, as of 2015, there was no recent or reliable sample frame, even for Lebanese households, as the last official population census was conducted in 1932. Typically, such a sample frame consists of the universe of enumeration areas in a country, with associated estimates of population. This meant that we had to construct our own sample frame by selecting a few Small Area Units (SAUs) and then conducting a full listing operation by visiting every household within the selected SAUs and collecting basic demographic and contact information. The second difficulty was that there was no available cartographic division of the country into geographic areas small enough to be the subject of a full listing operation, which could then serve as a sampling frame for the SAUs. Circonscription Foncières (CF) were the finest level of disaggregation available; CFs are generally too large to be listed as some have populations of over 100,000. Finally, there was no available sampling frame for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which meant that we had to depend on UNHCR data on registered Syrian refugees, combined with the estimates of Lebanese population at the CF level. Given these challenges and time and budgetary constraints, the sample was selected in multiple (four) stages.

Note: A more detailed description of the sample design is presented in Section 2 of "Survey Design and Sampling: A methodology note for the 2015-16 surveys of Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Kurdistan, Iraq" document.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Abstract

This dataset presents the results of a regional online survey conducted by UNHCR from 14 March to 14 April 2025 to assess the intentions of Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers residing in 14 European countries. A total of 3,736 respondents, representing 17,378 household members, participated in the anonymous, self-administered survey. The data capture intended future movements, factors influencing decision-making, information needs, and interest in return-related activities. The survey aims to inform protection and solutions programming by ensuring refugee perspectives are central to policy discussions.

Geographic coverage

Austria, Cyprus, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and other EU countries hosting at least 10,000 Syrian refugees or asylum-seekers

Analysis unit

Household

Universe

Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers aged 18 and above residing in 14 European countries at the time of data collection

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Non-probability sampling using a respondent-assisted (snowball) approach. The survey was disseminated via UNHCR Help webpages, social media, refugee-led organizations, and community networks. Automatic screening excluded non-Syrian nationals and individuals who were not refugees or asylum-seekers.

Mode of data collection

Self-administered online

Research instrument

The questionnaire included closed-ended questions covering demographic characteristics, legal status, intentions to stay, move onward, or return to Syria, factors influencing these decisions, interest in voluntary return or go-and-see visits, and information needs. The survey was self-administered online and available in Arabic.

In 2023, Germany was the country with the highest number of Syrian asylum seekers. More than 100,000 asylum applications from Syrians were registered in Germany that year. Austria followed behind with over 20,000 asylum seekers. Most of the asylum seekers were found in European countries.

Abstract

The Vulnerability Assessment for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR-2018) was conducted jointly by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP, dataviz.vam.wfp.org). Now in its sixth year, the Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) assesses a representative sample of Syrian refugee families to identify changes and trends in their situation. The Government of Lebanon estimates that the country hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled their country’s conflict since 2011 (including nearly one million registered with UNHCR as of end of September 2018). The Syrian refugee population in Lebanon remains the largest concentration of refugees per capita and the fourth largest refugee population in the world. VASyR includes a sample of 4,446 Syrian refugee households from 26 districts across Lebanon. The assessment demonstrates that despite the large scale assistance and the efforts of Lebanon and its partners that have resulted in improvements in economic vulnerability and stabilization in education, food security and some improvements in the situation for women, girls and female-headed households, Syrian refugees still remain very vulnerable. The economic context remains precarious and the protection needs to persist.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Household and individual

Universe

The sampling frame used for VASyR 2018 was the total number of Syrian refugees known to UNHCR as of February 2018. A total of 855 cases were not considered part of the sampling frame due to missing addresses.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample includes 4446 Syrian refugee households, and aims to be representative of the Syrian refugee families in Lebanon. A two-stage cluster approach was adopted using the sampling frame of the total number of Syrian refugees known to UNHCR of February 2018. A total of 855 cases were not considered part of the sampling frame due to missing addresses. Using the "30x7" two stage cluster scheme, originally developed by the World Health Organization, 30 clusters per geographical area and seven households per cluster are used to provide a precision of +/- 10 percentage points. The sampling strategy accounted for the need to generate results that are representative on a district, governorate and national level. As such, 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 representativeness of these two districts as governorates, an additional two cluster samples were considered for each.

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) under UNHCR databases. Villages were selected using 'probability proportionate to size,' and 30 clusters/villages were selected with four replacement clusters per district.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire included key information on household demographics, arrival profile, registration, protection, shelter, WASH, assets, health, education, security, livelihoods, expenditures, food consumption, coping strategies, debts and assistance, as well as infant and young feeding practices.

Abstract

After more than ten years into the Syria conflict, Lebanon has found itself at the forefront of one of the worst humanitarian crises. The economic downturn, steep inflation, COVID-19 and other challenges have pushed vulnerable communities in Lebanon - including Syrian refugees - to the brink, with thousands of families sinking further into poverty. The 2023 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) was the eleventh annual survey assessing the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to identify changes and trends in their vulnerabilities. Considering the prolonged socio-economic crisis in Lebanon, it was crucial to provide needs-based estimates on Syrian refugees in the country. The Government of Lebanon estimated that 1.5 million of the 6.6 million Syrians who fled the conflict since 2011 moved to Lebanon. At the time of the survey, the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon was one of the largest concentrations of refugees per capita in the world.

Analysis unit

Household

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

The VASyR questionnaire 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.

In this study, we provide an overview of the situation of Syrian refugees and other non-citizens living in host countries. We explored the cases of several countries: Turkey, which is one of the main destinations for refugees fleeing the Syrian crisis; Germany and the United Kingdom, which are high-income countries where the public sentiment about refugees has changed overtime; Greece and Italy, nations that share a close border with countries experiencing large refugee influxes; and Canada and Australia, which have had different approaches regarding inflows of refugees and do not share borders with countries that have significant outflows of migrants and refugees. Our review of policies suggests that the successful resettlement of Syrian refugees is dependent on political commitment that is coupled with public support and community engagement. Successful social and economic policies to address the refugee crisis demand a combined effort in terms of planning, implementing, monitoring, and assessing initiatives. Most importantly, record-keeping and sharing data with stakeholders need to be improved, which is a joint request of nonprofit organizations and academic institutions.

Abstract

Eleven years into the Syrian conflict, Lebanon ranks the highest in per capita population of refugees in the world, with over 1.5 million displaced Syrians within its borders. Specifically, the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon remains one of the largest concentrations of refugees per capita in the world. A series of overlapping political, economic and social crises in Lebanon has underpinned the vastly growing level of need across populations in the country. On the macroeconomic front, at the beginning of July 2022 the World Bank downgraded Lebanon to a lower-middle-income country for the first time in 27 years, after Lebanon’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had decreased from $55 billion in 2018 to $20.5 billion in 2021.1 The Lebanese lira has continued to lose value in 2022, reaching exchange rates close to LBP 43,000 to the United States dollar in the informal market in December 2022. The country depends heavily on imports, paid for in dollars; fluctuations in exchange rates thus have significant impacts on the prices of goods and services in the country. Inflation is still on the rise: between October 2019 and the time of data collection in June 2022 the Consumer Price Index, which measures the average change of prices over time, rose by 1,066 per cent. In addition to these factors, the COVID-19 and more recent Cholera outbreaks have stretched the country’s health sector and resources to breaking point. As a result, Lebanon’s financial and humanitarian situation ranks among the most severe crises in the world today.

The 2022 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) is the tenth annual representative survey assessing the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, with the aim to identify changes and trends in their vulnerabilities. Since its first round of data collection and assessment, the VASyR has become an essential tool for planning, shaping decision-making and the design of needs-based programmes. The results of the VASyR are used by the 10 sectors in partnership under the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP), in order to understand the situational changes in Lebanon and advocate for funding. The VASyR has also been used to build targeting models, for instance to predict socioeconomic vulnerability and allocate assistance accordingly. Furthermore, the results of the VASyR reveal the geographical differences in vulnerabilities at governorate and district levels, which then feed into the situation analysis.

Analysis unit

Household

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 2022 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 Assesment (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 5,000 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 2021 VASyR questionnaire 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.

This statistic shows the results of a survey conducted in January 2015 in Syria among Syrians who desired to migrate to another country. The respondents were asked about their preferred country to move to; the results were then grouped together as regions. During the survey, 35 percent of respondents stated that if they moved, they'd go to countries in the Middle East or Africa.

Syria SY: Net Migration data was reported at -1,240,000.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of -4,157,896.000 Person for 2012. Syria SY: Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging -108,500.500 Person from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 370,000.000 Person in 2007 and a record low of -4,157,896.000 Person in 2012. Syria SY: Net Migration 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. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the total number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens. Data are five-year estimates.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

Sweden Number of Immigrants: Male: Syrian Arab Republic data was reported at 7,465.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 26,516.000 Person for 2016. Sweden Number of Immigrants: Male: Syrian Arab Republic data is updated yearly, averaging 1,259.500 Person from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26,516.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 376.000 Person in 2000. Sweden Number of Immigrants: Male: Syrian Arab Republic data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Sweden. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.G009: Number of Immigrants: by Sex and Country.

The Vulnerability Assessment for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR-2019) was conducted jointly by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP, dataviz.vam.wfp.org). Now in its seventh year, the Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) assesses a representative sample of Syrian refugee families to provide a multi-sectoral update of the situation and to identify changes and trends. The Government of Lebanon estimates that the country hosts 1.5 million of the 6.7 million Syrians who have fled the conflict since 2011 (including nearly one million registered with UNHCR as of end of September 2019). Survey teams visited 4,727 randomly selected Syrian refugee households, covering all districts across Lebanon. The result of the study demonstrates that while some improvements in specific indicators are noted, Syrian refugees in Lebanon continue to show heightened vulnerabilities. While rates of birth registration have seen an increase since previous years, other legal documentation issues (e.g. legal residency) remains to be an on-going challenge. About half of households are living in extreme poverty, despite large scale assistance programs to families. Additionally, while rent prices were not noted to increase dramatically, many families continue to live in substandard and over-crowded conditions across the country.

This statistic shows the results of a survey conducted in January 2015 in Syria. The respondents were asked if - given the chance - they were inclined to leave Syria, or stay. During the survey, 46 percent of respondents stated they would like to move to another country if they could.

Syrian refugees and their destinations

Syria has more internally displaced inhabitants than any other country in the world and the situation in the country also marks the worst refugee crisis of our generation. Four million Syrians have already fled the country, and in January 2015, almost half of the Syrians questioned said they would leave Syria if they could. A mere 30 percent stated they would like to continue living in the country.

Traditionally, the desire to migrate is stronger among the young, more educated and economically better-off population, but in Syria the conditions are so difficult that the desire to migrate is much more widespread. When asked where Syrians would like to migrate, Europe and the Middle East and Africa were among the most popular destinations. A mere 6 percent stated they would like to immigrate to North America.

The largest number of Syrian refugees per capita in any other country is Lebanon, which borders Syria to the west. However, as the overflow of Syrian refugees to neighboring countries becomes too much to handle, more refugees have begun migrating further to Europe; while many countries have exceeded their migrant quotas, others have not. The flow of refugees is not going to stop anytime soon, and more cooperation is needed to deal with the rapid influx of migrants to Europe.

Syria SY: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data was reported at 6,308,619.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,524,377.000 Person for 2016. Syria SY: Refugee Population: by Country or Territory of Origin data is updated yearly, averaging 14,450.500 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,308,619.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,148.000 Person in 1990. Syria SY: 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 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 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;

Dataset of people attitudes toward Syrian refugees and the dofile.

The majority of immigrants moving to Sweden in 2023 were Swedes returning to Sweden. Nearly 10,600 Swedes returned to their home country in 2023. The remaining top five countries of origin were India, Poland, Germany, and Syria. In total, 95,000 people immigrated to Sweden in 2023.

Syrians largest immigrant group

Of Sweden's foreign-born population, Syrians made up the largest group. Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, many people left the country in search of a better life in Europe, some of which landed in Sweden. In 2022, Sweden hosted the world's 7th largest group of Syrian refugees.

Immigration drives population increase in Sweden

Over the past decade, Sweden has seen a positive migration rate, with more people immigrating to the country than people leaving. This is one of the main reasons why the country's population has been increasing steadily over recent years.

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.