Global Trends
The latest Global Trends report, published in June 2026, provides key statistical trendson forced displacement. It includes the latest official statistics on refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, as well as the number of refugees who have returned home.
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
41.6 million – At the end of 2025, 41.6 million people were refugees.
5.4 million – 5.4 million people were forced to flee and seek safety in other countries during 2025.
7 in 10 – 7 in 10 refugees originate from just six countries.
Published on the UNHCR website