No. of displaced persons hits record high 122 million

The number of people displaced by war, violence, and persecution worldwide reached 123.2 million in 2024, before slightly falling to 122.1 million by April 2025, according to the UNHCR’s latest Global Trends Report.

This marks nearly a decade of continuous year-on-year increases in forced displacement. The UN Refugee Agency attributes the minor decline to a recent uptick in returns, especially to Syria, but warned that dwindling humanitarian funding and deteriorating international relations risk worsening the crisis. It called for renewed efforts to prevent further displacement and support durable solutions.

“The world is facing unprecedented volatility,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“Modern warfare is creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee.”

The report highlights that forcibly displaced populations include 73.5 million people displaced within their own countries due to conflict, an increase of 6.3 million in 2024, and 42.7 million refugees who have crossed international borders.

Sudan has now overtaken Syria as the largest displacement crisis, with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs). It is followed by Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (10.3 million), and Ukraine (8.8 million).

Contrary to common perceptions in wealthier regions, 67 per cent of refugees remain in neighbouring countries, and 60 per cent never leave their own country. Low and middle-income countries currently host 73 per cent of the world’s refugees.

Despite the sharp rise in displacement over the past decade, UNHCR’s funding remains roughly at 2015 levels. The agency warned that deepening cuts to humanitarian aid are leaving vulnerable populations increasingly at risk.

Still, the agency reported some positive developments. In 2024, 9.8 million displaced people returned to their areas of origin, including 1.6 million refugees—the highest number in more than two decades and 8.2 million IDPs.

Nearly two million Syrians returned home after more than a decade of displacement. However, many of these returns occurred under difficult political or security conditions.

For example, large numbers of Afghans returned to Afghanistan in 2024 amid dire circumstances, while new displacements continued in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan. UNHCR urged sustained investment in lifesaving assistance, support for returnees, and strengthening basic services in host communities, calling it an essential contribution to regional and global stability.