27/12/2023
UNHCR: the number has doubled in just 2 years
A person in every 200 in the world is a refugee
The number of refugees in the world has more than doubled since 2016, and in just two years the proportion in the world population has grown from one refugee for every 400 people to one for every 200. The figure was released by UNHCR at the Global Forum on Refugees held in December 2023 in Geneva.
People on the run
There were 110 million people forced to flee globally at the end of June 2023, 1.6 million more than at the end of 2022. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, estimates that in the quarter from June to September the number of people forced to flee grew by 4 million, bringing the total to 114 million.
Refugees
There were 36.4 million refugees in mid-2023. 87% came from only 10 countries: Syria (6.5 million), Afghanistan (6.1M), Ukraine (5.9M), Venezuela (5.6M), South Sudan (2.2M), Myanmar (1.3M), Sudan (1M), Democratic Republic of Congo (948,400), Somalia (814,600), Central African Republic (750,900).
Where are the refugees
55% of refugees are hosted in just 10 countries-Iran (3.4M), Turkey (3.4M), Germany (2.5M), Colombia (2.5M), Pakistan (2.1M), Uganda (1.5M), Russian Federation (1.2M), Poland (989,900), Peru (987,200), Bangladesh (961,800). The majority (69%) of people fleeing conflict and persecution remain near their home countries. The numbers also confirm that, both by economic measures and in relation to population, it is still middle- and low-income countries that host the majority of people fleeing (75 percent). The 46 least developed countries account for less than 1.3 percent of global gross domestic product, yet they host more than 20 percent of all refugees.
Published: Wednesday 27 December 2023 - Last modify: Tuesday 12 March 2024
