UNHCR 2025 Report Highlights Drop in
Worldwide Forced Displacement
¨ According to the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), global forced displacement
declined in 2025, marking the first decrease in a decade.
¨
By the end of 2025, an
estimated 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, compared to
123.2 million at the end of 2024.
¨ Forced displacement
includes refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and
others displaced due to conflict, persecution, or violence.
¨
The global refugee
population stood at 41.6 million by the end of 2025.
¨
Around 68.6 million
people remained internally displaced within their own countries.
¨
Approximately 14.7
million displaced people returned to their homes in 2025.
¨
Returnees included 4.4
million refugees and 1.3 million internally displaced persons.
¨
The highest numbers of
returns were recorded in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria.
¨
Refugee returns in 2025
were the second-highest recorded in the last 60 years.
¨
Many returns occurred
under unsafe conditions and with limited access to basic services.
¨
At least 32.3 million new
internal displacements were recorded within national borders during 2025.
¨ The largest numbers of new internal displacements were reported in Iran (10 million) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (9.7 million).
¨ The number of refugees arriving through resettlement and sponsorship programs fell from 188,800 in 2024 to 81,800 in 2025.
