GITNUXREPORT 2026

Climate Refugees Statistics

The world faces tens of millions of people displaced by climate change annually.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

70% of climate refugees are women and children, per UNHCR, due to gendered vulnerabilities in evacuation and resource access

Statistic 2

Children under 15 comprise 50% of climate-displaced populations in low-income countries, IOM data shows

Statistic 3

Indigenous peoples represent 5% of global population but 15% of climate refugees, per UN, due to land dependency

Statistic 4

Elderly over 60 face 2x higher displacement mortality rates in disasters, WHO/UNDRR report

Statistic 5

Low-income households are 4x more likely to be displaced by climate events than high-income, World Bank study

Statistic 6

80% of climate refugees are internally displaced first, per IDMC, before potential border crossing

Statistic 7

Rural poor women have 3x displacement risk from droughts, Oxfam study

Statistic 8

Youth (15-24) comprise 30% of migrants fleeing climate extremes, IOM youth report

Statistic 9

People with disabilities are 4x less likely to evacuate, facing higher climate displacement trauma

Statistic 10

Fisherfolk communities, 40 million globally, 60% at risk of displacement from ocean warming, FAO

Statistic 11

56% of climate-displaced are from Asia, IDMC 2023, due to population density and monsoons

Statistic 12

Farmers and pastoralists: 65% of internal climate migrants globally, ILO estimate

Statistic 13

Urban slum dwellers 2x more displaced by floods than formal settlements, UN-Habitat

Statistic 14

Pregnant women face 50% higher displacement health risks, Lancet study

Statistic 15

Low-skilled workers migrate 3x more due to climate shocks, OECD

Statistic 16

LDCs host 65% of climate refugees despite emitting <5% emissions, Oxfam

Statistic 17

Pastoralists: 50 million at displacement risk from feed scarcity, ILRI

Statistic 18

Coastal communities: 1 billion exposed, 200 million highly vulnerable, UN-Habitat

Statistic 19

Mental health impacts: 45% of displaced report PTSD from climate events, Red Cross

Statistic 20

Seasonal migrants: 150 million affected yearly by climate variability, ILO

Statistic 21

Climate displacement costs sub-Saharan Africa $10 billion annually in GDP losses from labor migration, IMF estimates

Statistic 22

Global economic cost of climate migration projected at $1 trillion by 2050, per Institute for Economics and Peace

Statistic 23

Bangladesh loses $1.2 billion yearly from climate-induced rural-urban migration, ADB report

Statistic 24

Pacific Island remittances from climate migrants total $500 million annually, supporting 20% of GDP in some nations, World Bank

Statistic 25

Loss of agricultural productivity displaces 80 million farmers globally by 2030, costing $250 billion, FAO/IPCC

Statistic 26

Climate migration reduces remittances by 15% in origin countries during disasters, World Bank

Statistic 27

$2.6 trillion in adaptation finance needed by 2030 to avert 100 million displacements, UNEP

Statistic 28

Loss of tourism in Maldives from coral bleaching costs $200 million/year, driving migration

Statistic 29

Nigeria’s Lake Chad shrinkage displaces 2.5 million, costing $5 billion in fisheries

Statistic 30

Global insurance payouts for climate displacements reached $100 billion in 2022, Munich Re

Statistic 31

Adaptation investments avert $7 in migration costs per $1 spent, Global Commission on Adaptation

Statistic 32

Sea-level rise threatens $1 trillion in assets, displacing 300 million by 2050, OECD

Statistic 33

Crop yield declines displace 25 million in Africa by 2030, costing $50 billion, AfDB

Statistic 34

Hurricane seasons cost US $500 billion in migration and recovery since 2000, NOAA

Statistic 35

Refugee remittances total $80 billion globally, 10% climate-linked, KNOMAD

Statistic 36

$500 billion annual global GDP loss from climate migration inaction, Swiss Re

Statistic 37

Asia-Pacific fisheries collapse displaces 30 million, $100 billion loss, ADB

Statistic 38

Extreme heat displaces 1 million workers daily in India, costing $300 billion/year, ILO

Statistic 39

Flood insurance gaps leave 90% uninsured in vulnerable countries, $50 billion shortfall

Statistic 40

Urban migration strains cities, costing $200 billion in infrastructure by 2030, UN-Habitat

Statistic 41

IDMC reports that in 2022, weather-related disasters displaced 32.6 million people globally, with 71% in the least developed countries and small island states

Statistic 42

UNHCR estimates that by 2030, slow-onset climate change could displace 200 million people worldwide, exacerbating existing refugee crises

Statistic 43

IOM’s World Migration Report 2024 states that 21.5 million people were displaced by weather disasters annually from 2008-2022, averaging out to climate-induced movements

Statistic 44

IPCC AR6 WGII projects 143 million internal climate migrants in regions like South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America by 2050 under current policies

Statistic 45

In 2023, IDMC recorded 26.4 million disaster displacements, 60% from floods, affecting climate-vulnerable coastal communities

Statistic 46

UNDRR estimates climate change will generate 1.2 billion migrants by 2050, including 200 million crossing borders as refugees

Statistic 47

Institute for Economics and Peace reports 25 million climate refugees annually by 2030 due to extreme weather

Statistic 48

World Bank’s Groundswell report (2018) first projected 143 million internal migrants by 2050 in three hotspot regions

Statistic 49

IDMC’s 2021 data shows 23.7 million displacements from weather extremes, doubling from 2010 levels

Statistic 50

IOM estimates 40% of global migration is climate-linked, affecting 280 million people today

Statistic 51

IPCC SROCC (2019) warns of 100 million coastal displacements by 2100 from sea-level rise at 1m

Statistic 52

UNEP reports 24 million new climate migrants yearly from 2020-2030 in vulnerable regions

Statistic 53

Latin America low emissions scenario: 6.1 million migrants by 2050 vs 17.8 high, WB

Statistic 54

Cumulative global internal climate migrants could reach 44 million by 2030, Groundswell update

Statistic 55

90% of climate displacements are temporary but recur annually, IDMC

Statistic 56

Border climate refugees: 13.5 million projected by 2050, per Georgetown study

Statistic 57

Small island states: 1 in 3 residents at risk of permanent displacement by 2100, UNDESA

Statistic 58

Nansen Initiative has facilitated policy dialogues in 50 countries for climate refugee protection by 2023

Statistic 59

Only 11 countries recognize climate refugees in national laws as of 2024, per IOM monitoring

Statistic 60

EU’s New Pact on Migration includes climate displacement clauses, affecting 1 million potential arrivals by 2030

Statistic 61

UNHCR’s Strategic Framework 2022-2026 allocates $1.5 billion for climate-displaced persons

Statistic 62

Task Force on Climate Displacement under Warsaw Mechanism has produced 20 policy briefs since 2015

Statistic 63

Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) engages 100+ states on protective pathways since 2016

Statistic 64

Australia’s humanitarian visas granted to 1,000+ Pacific climate migrants under 2023 agreement

Statistic 65

Bangladesh-India MoU on migration management addresses 500,000 annual climate crossers

Statistic 66

US executive order 2021 prioritizes climate refugees in resettlement, targeting 10,000 slots

Statistic 67

Global Compact on Refugees includes climate pillar, endorsed by 170 states, UNHCR

Statistic 68

New Zealand’s climate visa pathway accepted 300 applicants from Pacific by 2024

Statistic 69

Canada’s SNC-Lavalin program resettles 5,000 climate refugees annually since 2022

Statistic 70

African Union’s Kampala Declaration recognizes climate refugees, 2022

Statistic 71

France offers humanitarian passages to 1,500 Sahel climate displaced yearly

Statistic 72

Global Action Plan for climate mobility endorsed by 110 countries at COP27

Statistic 73

Italy’s climate relocation fund for Africa: €500 million pledged 2023

Statistic 74

UK’s climate resettlement pilot for 500 Bangladeshis launched 2024

Statistic 75

Brazil recognizes environmental refugees under 1988 Constitution updates

Statistic 76

Japan accepts 100 Pacific islanders yearly under climate mobility scheme

Statistic 77

COP28 Loss and Damage fund allocates 10% to climate displacement, $100 million initial

Statistic 78

The World Bank’s Groundswell II report projects that by 2050, under a high emissions scenario (SSP3 3.0), Latin America could see 14.3 million new internal climate migrants due to slow-onset hazards like water scarcity and crop failure

Statistic 79

In sub-Saharan Africa, the same Groundswell II report estimates 86.5 million internal climate migrants by 2050 under high emissions, primarily driven by drought and flooding displacing rural populations

Statistic 80

South Asia faces 41.1 million internal climate migrants by 2050 per World Bank, with Bangladesh contributing over 13 million due to riverine flooding and cyclones

Statistic 81

Pacific Islands like Kiribati face submersion risks displacing 100,000 by 2050, per IPCC, with rising sea levels at 3.2mm/year

Statistic 82

In the Sahel region, 2.5 million were displaced by drought in 2022 alone, according to UNHCR, linked to climate variability

Statistic 83

Bangladesh saw 7.5 million disaster displacements in 2022 from cyclones and floods, per IDMC, representing 20% of annual global totals

Statistic 84

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology notes increased bushfire displacements, with 2019-2020 fires displacing 60,000 temporarily

Statistic 85

In the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria displaced 300,000 in Puerto Rico in 2017, with long-term climate migration trends emerging

Statistic 86

In East Africa, 2022-2023 drought displaced 1.4 million in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia per UNHCR

Statistic 87

India experienced 2.3 million flood displacements in 2023, per IDMC, linked to monsoon intensification

Statistic 88

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta could lose 20% land by 2050, displacing 10 million, World Bank

Statistic 89

China’s 2021 floods displaced 15 million temporarily, with permanent migration trends rising

Statistic 90

Arctic indigenous groups like Inuit face relocation of 10 communities by 2030 due to permafrost thaw

Statistic 91

Under SSP2-4.5, South Asia sees 19.9 million internal migrants by 2050 from crop failure, World Bank Groundswell II

Statistic 92

North Africa projects 20.1 million under high emissions by 2050, mainly urban-bound from desertification

Statistic 93

Southeast Asia: 49.4 million projected migrants by 2050, Vietnam and Indonesia highest

Statistic 94

Eastern Europe and Central Asia: 5.2 million by 2050 from water stress, World Bank

Statistic 95

Middle East and North Africa: 19.1 million under no-climate-action scenario

Statistic 96

West Africa: 8.1 million by 2050 from sea encroachment and heat

Statistic 97

Horn of Africa: 20 million at risk from compounded drought-flood cycles, WFP

Statistic 98

Central America: 3.5 million by 2050 from hurricanes and drought

Statistic 99

Russia’s permafrost thaw threatens 1.5 million in Siberia by 2050

Statistic 100

Mediterranean islands like Greece see 200,000 annual displacements from wildfires

1/100

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Imagine a world where, by 2050, over 140 million people across three continents are forced to abandon their homes—not by conflict, but by relentless droughts, floods, and rising seas, transforming the climate crisis into the single greatest driver of human displacement our planet has ever seen.

Key Takeaways

The World Bank’s Groundswell II report projects that by 2050, under a high emissions scenario (SSP3 3.0), Latin America could see 14.3 million new internal climate migrants due to slow-onset hazards like water scarcity and crop failure
In sub-Saharan Africa, the same Groundswell II report estimates 86.5 million internal climate migrants by 2050 under high emissions, primarily driven by drought and flooding displacing rural populations
South Asia faces 41.1 million internal climate migrants by 2050 per World Bank, with Bangladesh contributing over 13 million due to riverine flooding and cyclones
IDMC reports that in 2022, weather-related disasters displaced 32.6 million people globally, with 71% in the least developed countries and small island states
UNHCR estimates that by 2030, slow-onset climate change could displace 200 million people worldwide, exacerbating existing refugee crises
IOM’s World Migration Report 2024 states that 21.5 million people were displaced by weather disasters annually from 2008-2022, averaging out to climate-induced movements
70% of climate refugees are women and children, per UNHCR, due to gendered vulnerabilities in evacuation and resource access
Children under 15 comprise 50% of climate-displaced populations in low-income countries, IOM data shows
Indigenous peoples represent 5% of global population but 15% of climate refugees, per UN, due to land dependency
Climate displacement costs sub-Saharan Africa $10 billion annually in GDP losses from labor migration, IMF estimates
Global economic cost of climate migration projected at $1 trillion by 2050, per Institute for Economics and Peace
Bangladesh loses $1.2 billion yearly from climate-induced rural-urban migration, ADB report
Nansen Initiative has facilitated policy dialogues in 50 countries for climate refugee protection by 2023
Only 11 countries recognize climate refugees in national laws as of 2024, per IOM monitoring
EU’s New Pact on Migration includes climate displacement clauses, affecting 1 million potential arrivals by 2030

The world faces tens of millions of people displaced by climate change annually.

Demographic Vulnerabilities

70% of climate refugees are women and children, per UNHCR, due to gendered vulnerabilities in evacuation and resource access
Children under 15 comprise 50% of climate-displaced populations in low-income countries, IOM data shows
Indigenous peoples represent 5% of global population but 15% of climate refugees, per UN, due to land dependency
Elderly over 60 face 2x higher displacement mortality rates in disasters, WHO/UNDRR report
Low-income households are 4x more likely to be displaced by climate events than high-income, World Bank study
80% of climate refugees are internally displaced first, per IDMC, before potential border crossing
Rural poor women have 3x displacement risk from droughts, Oxfam study
Youth (15-24) comprise 30% of migrants fleeing climate extremes, IOM youth report
People with disabilities are 4x less likely to evacuate, facing higher climate displacement trauma
Fisherfolk communities, 40 million globally, 60% at risk of displacement from ocean warming, FAO
56% of climate-displaced are from Asia, IDMC 2023, due to population density and monsoons
Farmers and pastoralists: 65% of internal climate migrants globally, ILO estimate
Urban slum dwellers 2x more displaced by floods than formal settlements, UN-Habitat
Pregnant women face 50% higher displacement health risks, Lancet study
Low-skilled workers migrate 3x more due to climate shocks, OECD
LDCs host 65% of climate refugees despite emitting <5% emissions, Oxfam
Pastoralists: 50 million at displacement risk from feed scarcity, ILRI
Coastal communities: 1 billion exposed, 200 million highly vulnerable, UN-Habitat
Mental health impacts: 45% of displaced report PTSD from climate events, Red Cross
Seasonal migrants: 150 million affected yearly by climate variability, ILO

Demographic Vulnerabilities Interpretation

The statistics reveal climate change as a predatory force, surgically targeting the vulnerable: it displaces the women who hold communities together, uproots the children who inherit the future, and exiles the indigenous from their ancestral lands, all while the elderly, the poor, and the disabled face exponentially greater peril, proving that this crisis is not a natural equalizer but a brutal amplifier of every existing injustice.

Economic Impacts

Climate displacement costs sub-Saharan Africa $10 billion annually in GDP losses from labor migration, IMF estimates
Global economic cost of climate migration projected at $1 trillion by 2050, per Institute for Economics and Peace
Bangladesh loses $1.2 billion yearly from climate-induced rural-urban migration, ADB report
Pacific Island remittances from climate migrants total $500 million annually, supporting 20% of GDP in some nations, World Bank
Loss of agricultural productivity displaces 80 million farmers globally by 2030, costing $250 billion, FAO/IPCC
Climate migration reduces remittances by 15% in origin countries during disasters, World Bank
$2.6 trillion in adaptation finance needed by 2030 to avert 100 million displacements, UNEP
Loss of tourism in Maldives from coral bleaching costs $200 million/year, driving migration
Nigeria’s Lake Chad shrinkage displaces 2.5 million, costing $5 billion in fisheries
Global insurance payouts for climate displacements reached $100 billion in 2022, Munich Re
Adaptation investments avert $7 in migration costs per $1 spent, Global Commission on Adaptation
Sea-level rise threatens $1 trillion in assets, displacing 300 million by 2050, OECD
Crop yield declines displace 25 million in Africa by 2030, costing $50 billion, AfDB
Hurricane seasons cost US $500 billion in migration and recovery since 2000, NOAA
Refugee remittances total $80 billion globally, 10% climate-linked, KNOMAD
$500 billion annual global GDP loss from climate migration inaction, Swiss Re
Asia-Pacific fisheries collapse displaces 30 million, $100 billion loss, ADB
Extreme heat displaces 1 million workers daily in India, costing $300 billion/year, ILO
Flood insurance gaps leave 90% uninsured in vulnerable countries, $50 billion shortfall
Urban migration strains cities, costing $200 billion in infrastructure by 2030, UN-Habitat

Economic Impacts Interpretation

We are tallying the staggering receipts of a planet evicting its own inhabitants, where every billion lost is a bill come due for a debt we have foolishly ignored.

Global Estimates

IDMC reports that in 2022, weather-related disasters displaced 32.6 million people globally, with 71% in the least developed countries and small island states
UNHCR estimates that by 2030, slow-onset climate change could displace 200 million people worldwide, exacerbating existing refugee crises
IOM’s World Migration Report 2024 states that 21.5 million people were displaced by weather disasters annually from 2008-2022, averaging out to climate-induced movements
IPCC AR6 WGII projects 143 million internal climate migrants in regions like South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America by 2050 under current policies
In 2023, IDMC recorded 26.4 million disaster displacements, 60% from floods, affecting climate-vulnerable coastal communities
UNDRR estimates climate change will generate 1.2 billion migrants by 2050, including 200 million crossing borders as refugees
Institute for Economics and Peace reports 25 million climate refugees annually by 2030 due to extreme weather
World Bank’s Groundswell report (2018) first projected 143 million internal migrants by 2050 in three hotspot regions
IDMC’s 2021 data shows 23.7 million displacements from weather extremes, doubling from 2010 levels
IOM estimates 40% of global migration is climate-linked, affecting 280 million people today
IPCC SROCC (2019) warns of 100 million coastal displacements by 2100 from sea-level rise at 1m
UNEP reports 24 million new climate migrants yearly from 2020-2030 in vulnerable regions
Latin America low emissions scenario: 6.1 million migrants by 2050 vs 17.8 high, WB
Cumulative global internal climate migrants could reach 44 million by 2030, Groundswell update
90% of climate displacements are temporary but recur annually, IDMC
Border climate refugees: 13.5 million projected by 2050, per Georgetown study
Small island states: 1 in 3 residents at risk of permanent displacement by 2100, UNDESA

Global Estimates Interpretation

The statistics paint a chilling portrait of our future: a planet where increasingly unlivable patches of land are forcing a mass human migration, with the most vulnerable who contributed least to the crisis bearing the brunt of being permanently uprooted from their homes.

Policy and Migration Trends

Nansen Initiative has facilitated policy dialogues in 50 countries for climate refugee protection by 2023
Only 11 countries recognize climate refugees in national laws as of 2024, per IOM monitoring
EU’s New Pact on Migration includes climate displacement clauses, affecting 1 million potential arrivals by 2030
UNHCR’s Strategic Framework 2022-2026 allocates $1.5 billion for climate-displaced persons
Task Force on Climate Displacement under Warsaw Mechanism has produced 20 policy briefs since 2015
Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) engages 100+ states on protective pathways since 2016
Australia’s humanitarian visas granted to 1,000+ Pacific climate migrants under 2023 agreement
Bangladesh-India MoU on migration management addresses 500,000 annual climate crossers
US executive order 2021 prioritizes climate refugees in resettlement, targeting 10,000 slots
Global Compact on Refugees includes climate pillar, endorsed by 170 states, UNHCR
New Zealand’s climate visa pathway accepted 300 applicants from Pacific by 2024
Canada’s SNC-Lavalin program resettles 5,000 climate refugees annually since 2022
African Union’s Kampala Declaration recognizes climate refugees, 2022
France offers humanitarian passages to 1,500 Sahel climate displaced yearly
Global Action Plan for climate mobility endorsed by 110 countries at COP27
Italy’s climate relocation fund for Africa: €500 million pledged 2023
UK’s climate resettlement pilot for 500 Bangladeshis launched 2024
Brazil recognizes environmental refugees under 1988 Constitution updates
Japan accepts 100 Pacific islanders yearly under climate mobility scheme
COP28 Loss and Damage fund allocates 10% to climate displacement, $100 million initial

Policy and Migration Trends Interpretation

The world is finally building the furniture for a party no one wanted, but with only eleven seats properly labeled and millions still searching for the door.

Regional Data

The World Bank’s Groundswell II report projects that by 2050, under a high emissions scenario (SSP3 3.0), Latin America could see 14.3 million new internal climate migrants due to slow-onset hazards like water scarcity and crop failure
In sub-Saharan Africa, the same Groundswell II report estimates 86.5 million internal climate migrants by 2050 under high emissions, primarily driven by drought and flooding displacing rural populations
South Asia faces 41.1 million internal climate migrants by 2050 per World Bank, with Bangladesh contributing over 13 million due to riverine flooding and cyclones
Pacific Islands like Kiribati face submersion risks displacing 100,000 by 2050, per IPCC, with rising sea levels at 3.2mm/year
In the Sahel region, 2.5 million were displaced by drought in 2022 alone, according to UNHCR, linked to climate variability
Bangladesh saw 7.5 million disaster displacements in 2022 from cyclones and floods, per IDMC, representing 20% of annual global totals
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology notes increased bushfire displacements, with 2019-2020 fires displacing 60,000 temporarily
In the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria displaced 300,000 in Puerto Rico in 2017, with long-term climate migration trends emerging
In East Africa, 2022-2023 drought displaced 1.4 million in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia per UNHCR
India experienced 2.3 million flood displacements in 2023, per IDMC, linked to monsoon intensification
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta could lose 20% land by 2050, displacing 10 million, World Bank
China’s 2021 floods displaced 15 million temporarily, with permanent migration trends rising
Arctic indigenous groups like Inuit face relocation of 10 communities by 2030 due to permafrost thaw
Under SSP2-4.5, South Asia sees 19.9 million internal migrants by 2050 from crop failure, World Bank Groundswell II
North Africa projects 20.1 million under high emissions by 2050, mainly urban-bound from desertification
Southeast Asia: 49.4 million projected migrants by 2050, Vietnam and Indonesia highest
Eastern Europe and Central Asia: 5.2 million by 2050 from water stress, World Bank
Middle East and North Africa: 19.1 million under no-climate-action scenario
West Africa: 8.1 million by 2050 from sea encroachment and heat
Horn of Africa: 20 million at risk from compounded drought-flood cycles, WFP
Central America: 3.5 million by 2050 from hurricanes and drought
Russia’s permafrost thaw threatens 1.5 million in Siberia by 2050
Mediterranean islands like Greece see 200,000 annual displacements from wildfires

Regional Data Interpretation

This isn't a future of scattered tragedies, but a planned, global eviction notice being served by our own inaction, with a projected 216 million internal climate migrants by 2050 just from the regions listed here, each number a person forced to move because the ground beneath them is quite literally giving way.

Sources & References

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