Global Trends 2025
Global Trends 2025
The report is published once a year and reflects on the previous year. The figures are based on data reported by governments, non-governmental organizations and UNHCR.
Read the latest Global Trends report published in June 2026:
Hadigul is carrying his younger sisters, Sabria and Freshta, as they travel together after recently returning to Afghanistan. Despite the hardships they’ve faced, the close-knit family shows resilience and strength as they move forward.
At the end of 2025, there were 41.6 million refugees globally, including refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, people in a refugee-like situation, other people in need of international protection and Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate, as well as 9 million asylum-seekers pending a decision on their asylum claims. In addition, there were 68.7 million people displaced within their own country due to conflict or violence.
The global number of refugees fell during 2025 with a decrease of 3 per cent compared to the end of 2024. This change reflects a sharp increase in the returns of refugees, mostly to Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan. The number of IDPs also decreased due to the returns of IDPs primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Syria. However, many of the returns occurred under adverse circumstances and the reintegration conditions remain extremely challenging.
One in every 70 people, or 1.4 per cent of the entire world’s population, is now forcibly displaced
At the end of 2025, 41.6 million people were refugees.
5.4 million people were forced to flee and seek safety in other countries during 2025.
7 in 10 refugees originate from just six countries.
People forcibly displaced worldwide | 2016 – 2025
Refugees
The global refugee population declined slightly by 3 per cent to reach 35.6 million at the end of the year. This includes 28.5 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate, including people in a refugee-like situation and 7.2 million other people in need of international protection. In addition, 6 million were Palestine refugees under UNRWA's mandate.
Seven in ten refugees under UNHCR's mandate and other people in need of international protection originate from just six countries: Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Most people fleeing conflict and persecution remain near their country of origin. At the end of 2025, 65 per cent of refugees were hosted in neighbouring countries, consistent with previous years. Low- and middle-income countries continue to host the majority of the world’s refugees, hosting 68 per cent of refugees and other people in need of international protection.
Colombia, Germany, Türkiye, Uganda, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chad and Pakistan hosted the largest populations of refugees and other people in need of international protection.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF REFUGEES ARE CHILDREN?
Children account for 39% of refugees.
HOW MANY REFUGEES RETURNED HOME?
In 2025, nearly 4.4 million refugees returned home.
WHERE DO MOST REFUGEES LIVE?
65% of refugees are hosted by neighbouring countries.
Internally displaced people
Most people who are forced to flee never cross an international border, remaining displaced within their own countries. Known as internally displaced people, or IDPs, they account for 58 per cent of all forcibly displaced people. At the end of 2025, 68.7 million people remained internally displaced due to conflict and violence, a 7 per cent decrease from the end of 2024.
Sudan remains the largest internal displacement globally with 9.1 million people still displaced within the country at the end of the year.
At the end of 2025, 68.7 million people remained internally displaced within their own country.
46% of IDPs are displaced within just five countries: Sudan, Colombia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
In 2025, UNHCR reported on internal displacement situations in 40 countries.
Solutions
In 2025, 14.7 million people returned to their areas or countries of origin, including nearly 4.4 million refugees and 10.3 million IDPs, representing a 49 per cent increase compared to 2024. Refugee returns were the second highest since UNHCR first reported return statistics in 1965.
92 per cent of all returns occurred in just seven countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.6 million), Sudan (3.5 million), Syria (3.3 million), Afghanistan (2 million), Ukraine (718,300) and Myanmar (415,200).
According to official government data, 81,800 refugees were resettled or arrived via sponsorship pathways. A further 93,500 refugees were naturalized or granted permanent residency during the year.
INSIGHT
Refugee returns under adverse circumstances and/or to fragile contexts
Most refugees have a strong desire to return and rebuild their lives in their home country given adequate safety and stability.
However, most returns in 2025 occurred under adverse circumstances or to extremely fragile contexts. Afghan refugees were often compelled to return due to changes in the policies in their host countries, while Congolese IDPs had no choice but to leave following the forced closure of settlements. Syrian and Sudanese refugees and IDPs returned despite insecurity, inadequate basic services and limited livelihood opportunities.
Such returns are unlikely to be sustainable without critical investment to support reintegration, helping to promote development in countries deeply scarred by conflict. Investment is also required in countries of asylum to help refugees support themselves and their families, as well as contribute to their country of asylum, until the conditions in their country of origin are conducive to their return.
Most refugees hope to return. Investment is urgently needed.
Download the report
Global Trends 2025
UNHCR's Global Trends report presents the latest numbers of refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless persons worldwide.
Download the Global Trends report