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.

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 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.

In the fiscal year of 2024, ****** refugees from Syria had been admitted into the United States. This was a slight increase from the previous fiscal year, when ****** Syrian refugees were admitted to the U.S.

The total number of Syrians registered under temporary protection status in Turkey totaled roughly *** million on August 29, 2024. Syrian refugees aged between five and nine years old made up the largest age group, amounting to nearly ******* individuals.

Syrian refugees who have arrived in Canada as part of the Government of Canada's commitment to resettle Syrian refugees. Datasets include Syrian 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.

Family composition of Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada as part of the Government of Canada's commitment to resettle Syrian refugees. 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. Please note that the datasets will not be updated.

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]

This statistic shows the number of Syrian refugees that have arrived in the United States between 2011 and *************, by age. As of *************, ****** Syrian refugees in the United States were under the age of **, representing nearly half of all Syrian refugees.

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;

Abstract

The 2017 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) assesses the situation of a representative sample of registered Syrian refugee households to identify situational changes and trends. With over one million registered refugees within its borders, Lebanon hosts the second-largest population of Syrian refugees in the region, and the highest per capita population of refugees in the world. Since the first assessment, the VASyR has been an essential tool for partnership and for shaping planning decisions and programme design. It is the cornerstone for support and intervention in Lebanon. A total of 4966 households were interviewed.

The contents of this report, jointly issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP, dataviz.vam.wfp.org), demonstrate that economic vulnerability has worsened, with more than half of refugees living in extreme poverty, and that food insecurity rates are stable, but remain high.

Analysis unit

Household and individual.

Sampling procedure

A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was utilized. The population was stratified by district and governorate in order to obtain representative information at both geographical levels. To ensure geographical representativeness, 30 clusters were selected per district following a random methodology proportional to refugee population size. In each cluster, five or six randomly selected households were visited. In order to have representative information at the governorate level, additional clusters were selected in Beirut and Akkar, which are the only districts that are also governorates. All other governorates had more than one district to sample.

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

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.

As of April 21, 2022, the Turkish city with the highest Syrian refugee population was Istanbul, with over half a million. Gaziantep, Hatay, and Şanlıurfa were the cities hosting over ************ Syrian refugees. Additionally, the city with the highest rate of Syrians compared to the local population was Kilis, with **** percent.

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.

Abstract

The 2016 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) surveyed a representative sample of Syrian refugee households in Lebanon to identify changes and trends in their situation. The assessment to provided valuable insight into refugees living conditions, from the size of their families to the shelter they live in, to their economic vulnerability and food insecurity. Throughout this report, refugees own viewpoints offer a crucial glimpse into the strategies they deploy to survive and their own perceptions of their situation and the assistance they receive. A total of 4596 households were surveyed.

Since its inception, the VASyR has been an essential process and partnership for shaping planning decisions and programme design. It is the cornerstone for support and intervention in Lebanon. As in previous years, humanitarian agencies have incorporated VASyR findings into their programming and recommendations.

The assessment, jointly issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP, dataviz.vam.wfp.org), demonstrates that economic vulnerability is, at best, as serious as previous year. Over one third of refugees are moderately to severely food insecure, an increase compared to 2015. Families have exhausted their limited resources, and are having to adapt to survive on the bare minimum. Refugees continue to rely on harmful coping mechanisms to get by.

Analysis unit

Household and individual.

Sampling procedure

A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was utilized. The population was stratified by district and governorate in order to obtain representative information at both geographical levels.

To ensure geographical representativeness, 30 clusters were selected per district following a random methodology proportional to refugee population size. In each cluster, six randomly selected households were visited. In order to have representative information at the governorate level, additional clusters were selected in Beirut and Akkar, which are the only districts that are also governorates. All other governorates had more than one district to sample.

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.

Cleaning operations

Data was edited and anonymised with local suppression and recoding. Few observations were removed because of their higher risk of identification.

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.

Historical chart and dataset showing Syrian Arab Republic refugee statistics by year from 1960 to 2023.

VASyR is the Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon aimed at gaining knowledge of their living conditions and informing decision-making on programmatic activities. It is a joint UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP multi-sectorial household survey conducted with the registered and awaiting-registration Syrian refugee population in Lebanon.

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.

Proportional symbols represent the population of refugees from each origin country. Migration routes for the ten largest countries of asylum are shown for each refugee population. The five largest refugee populations since 1951 originated from the following countries: Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Iraq.Refugee population data source from the UN Refugee Agency population statistics - http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/persons_of_concern.