10 things to know about the Global Trends

Returns increased during 2025.

Nearly 4.4 million refugees returned to their countries of origin and more than 10 million internally displaced people returned to their areas of origin.

Global forced displacement fell during 2025 for the first time in a decade.

117.8 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2025 (and the figure remained unchanged in April 2026 too). This is a decrease from 2024, when 123.2 million people had fled their homes and seeking safety elsewhere.

Too many people are still forced from their homes.

There are reasons to feel hope that these trends show an increase in safety and possibility for home, but the number of people who remain displaced due to conflict, violence and persecution remains too high. Globally, one person out of 70 was forcibly displaced in 2025.

Two-thirds of refugees live in neighbouring countries.

68% of the world’s refugees are hosted in low and middle income countries. 68% are hosted in least developed countries.

39% of the world’s forcibly displaced population are children.

This is despite children only being 29% of the world’s population – showing children are disproportionately affected in displacement. Thus, education, child protection, birth registration and family unity essential in responding to refugee needs and solutions.

Most refugees originated from just six countries in 2025.

Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. These are the same six countries as in 2024. The number of Afghan and Syrian refugees fell, while increases were observed in the reported statistics for refugees from South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela.

7 out of 10 stateless people live in just four countries.

Often forgotten, but not by us – the majority of the world’s stateless population live in Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, Thailand, and Myanmar.

The 1.8 million Rohingya people constituted 41% of the world’s stateless population at the end of 2025.

This makes them the world’s largest stateless group. 1.2 million of them are hosted as refugees in Bangladesh, having fled persecution in Myanmar.

70% of refugees in 2025 were in protracted situations.

This means they have been in exile for five or more years after their initial displacement. This means the majority of the world’s refugee population have been displaced for years, without solutions.

Refugees and forcibly displaced people need more support.

This means maintaining protection and emergency aid through UNHCR as needs remain high, ensuring returns are safe, voluntary and sustainable, ensuring refugees are self-reliant and included in national systems, and investing in resettlement and educational and labour pathways.

A downloadable version of the sheet is available here!