Global displacement rises as conflicts escalate worldwide

A new report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reveals that at least 123.2 million people across the globe remain forcibly displaced, meaning one out of every 67 individuals has been uprooted from their home. This marks an increase of 7 million people, or 6 percent, compared to the end of 2023, continuing a 13-year trend of growing global displacement. However, by April 2025, the number had slightly decreased to 122.1 million.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, emphasized the urgency of addressing this crisis, noting the severe instability in international relations and the impact of modern warfare. He urged global leaders to intensify efforts toward peace and long-term solutions.

Of the 123.2 million forcibly displaced, 73.5 million are internally displaced within their own countries, largely due to conflict and crises—an increase of 6.3 million from the previous year. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) now account for 60 percent of the global total. In Gaza alone, the UNRWA estimates that 90 percent of the population, over two million people, have been displaced amid ongoing Israeli military operations.

The global refugee population stands at 42.7 million, down by 613,600 from 2023. This includes 31 million under UNHCR’s mandate, 5.9 million Palestinian refugees supported by UNRWA, and another 5.9 million in need of international protection. This reduction reflects updated data, especially regarding refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. In contrast, Sudanese refugee numbers surged by nearly 600,000, reaching 2.1 million.

The number of people awaiting asylum decisions rose to 8.4 million, a 22 percent increase from the previous year. These individuals seek protection in foreign countries due to persecution or threats in their homelands.

Historically, the Refugee Convention of 1951 aimed to protect European refugees after World War II and was expanded globally in 1967. At its inception, there were only 2.1 million refugees. That number exceeded 10 million by 1980 and doubled to 20 million by 1990, primarily due to conflicts in Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

The early 2000s saw further increases as wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Syria pushed refugee figures past 30 million by 2021. The 2022 war in Ukraine triggered one of the fastest-growing refugee crises since World War II, with 5.7 million people fleeing in under a year. By late 2023, six million Ukrainians remained displaced.

IDP figures have doubled over the past decade, with a sharp rise since 2020. Sudan's ongoing conflict has resulted in 14.3 million displaced Sudanese, up by 3.5 million from the previous year, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.

In 2024, over one-third of the world’s forcibly displaced population came from just four countries: Sudan (14.3 million), Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (10.3 million), and Ukraine (8.8 million).

Despite persistent challenges, there were notable returns in 2024: 1.6 million refugees returned home, many to countries like Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Ukraine, though the conditions remain unstable. Meanwhile, 8.2 million IDPs returned to their places of origin. Most of these returns occurred in just eight countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Lebanon, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.

Significant return movements were observed in countries that also saw fresh displacements, such as DRC (2.4 million returns), Myanmar (378,000), Syria (514,000), and Ukraine (782,000).

UNHCR Chief Grandi noted some positive developments: nearly two million Syrians have returned home after more than a decade in displacement. He stressed, however, that these returns are only the beginning of a long road toward stability and recovery.