Number of people uprooted by war at shocking, decade-high levels

GENEVA – The number of people displaced by war, violence, and persecution worldwide remains unbearably high, especially as humanitarian funding continues to shrink. The only positive development is an increase in returns, particularly to Syria, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today.

According to UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report released today, by the end of April 2025, there were 122.1 million forcibly displaced people globally, up from 120 million at the same time last year. This marks about a decade of consecutive yearly increases in the number of refugees and others forced to flee their homes. The main drivers of displacement remain large-scale conflicts such as those in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, alongside the ongoing failure to end the fighting.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said:
"We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile and harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes."

Forcibly displaced people include those internally displaced by conflict, whose numbers rose sharply by 6.3 million to reach 73.5 million by the end of 2024, as well as refugees fleeing across borders (42.7 million people). Sudan is now the world’s largest forced displacement crisis, with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), surpassing Syria (13.5 million), followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million).

The report highlights that, contrary to widespread perceptions in wealthier regions, 67 percent of refugees remain in neighbouring countries, and low- and middle-income countries host 73 percent of the world’s refugees. Indeed, 60 percent of forcibly displaced people never leave their own country.

While the number of forcibly displaced people has nearly doubled over the past decade, UNHCR’s funding remains roughly at 2015 levels amid severe and ongoing cuts to humanitarian aid. This situation is unsustainable and leaves refugees and others fleeing danger even more vulnerable.

"Even amid devastating cuts, we have seen some rays of hope over the last six months," Grandi added. "Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home after more than a decade uprooted. The country remains fragile and people need our help to rebuild their lives."

In total, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees (the highest number in over two decades) and 8.2 million IDPs (the second-highest ever). Many returns, however, occurred amid adverse political or security conditions. For example, a large number of Afghans were forced to return to Afghanistan in 2024, arriving home in desperate conditions. In countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan, significant new forced displacements occurred simultaneously with refugee and IDP returns.

The report calls for continued funding of UNHCR programmes that save lives, assist refugees and IDPs returning home, and strengthen basic infrastructure and social services in host communities — an essential investment in regional and global security.

For more information, please contact UNHCR Geneva:
Matthew Saltmarsh: [email protected] | +41 79 967 99 36
Babar Baloch: [email protected] | +41 79 513 95 49
William Spindler: [email protected] | +41 79 549 59 98
Olga Sarrado: [email protected] | +41 797 402 307
Eujin Byun: [email protected] | +41 79 747 8719