This page puts key refugee-crisis risks into context, from gender-based violence and child protection to the sharply higher mortality faced by older people. You’ll also see how displacement is concentrated in neighboring regions and how conflict-driven surges are changing the numbers. Alongside human vulnerability, we explain how host-country pressures and funding shortfalls affect services, food support, and resettlement opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- 52% of refugees are women and girls, facing heightened risks
- 40% of refugees are children under 18, many unaccompanied
- Elderly (60+) comprise 4% of refugees but have 10x higher mortality rates
- Host countries GDP loss: 0.5-1% due to refugee influx pressures
- Lebanon economy shrank 40% since 2019 partly due to 1.5M Syrian refugees
- Turkish informal employment: 90% of Syrian refugees in low-wage jobs
- UNHCR budget: $10.2B in 2023 for refugee response, 43% funded
- WFP fed 13 million refugees in 2023, $8.4B appeal
- Refugee resettlement: Only 107,000 places in 2023 vs 2M need
- Syria was the origin of 25% of global refugees in 2023
- Afghanistan accounted for 14% of the world's refugees as of end-2023
- South Sudan produced 13% of global refugees in 2023
- As of mid-2024, the global forcibly displaced population reached 120 million people, including 36.8 million refugees, 72.1 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and 8.4 million asylum-seekers
- In 2023, the number of refugees under UNHCR's mandate increased by 1.6 million to 36.8 million, driven primarily by conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine
- Syria remained the largest refugee origin country with 6.2 million refugees globally as of end-2023
Millions remain displaced, with women and children facing severe risks while funding and resettlement lag far behind.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics And Vulnerabilities28 stats
01
52% of refugees are women and girls, facing heightened risks
02
40% of refugees are children under 18, many unaccompanied
03
Elderly (60+) comprise 4% of refugees but have 10x higher mortality rates
04
85% of refugee women experienced gender-based violence in camps
05
Unaccompanied minors: 170,000 registered globally in 2023
06
LGBTQ+ refugees face 3x higher rejection rates in asylum claims
07
Persons with disabilities: 20-25% of refugee population, underserved
08
Malnutrition affects 30% of refugee children under 5 in camps
09
Mental health: 1 in 3 refugees suffer PTSD, vs 1 in 10 general population
10
Female-headed households: 25% of refugee families, more vulnerable to poverty
11
Youth (15-24): 20% of refugees, high unemployment at 70%
12
Indigenous refugees from Latin America: 10% face cultural erasure risks
13
60% of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon out of school
14
Rohingya literacy rate: under 10% in camps due to lack of education
15
1 in 5 refugee women pregnant upon arrival, needing maternal care
16
Male refugees 18-59: 30% at risk of forced recruitment
17
Child marriage rates doubled among Syrian refugees to 30%
18
50% of IDPs in DRC are children, exposed to violence
19
Elderly refugees in Ukraine: 25% of displaced, isolated without family
20
Sudanese refugees: 55% women and children, high GBV reports
21
Afghan women refugees: 70% literacy rate drop post-Taliban
22
Venezuelan indigenous: 15% of refugees, health vulnerabilities high
23
75% of refugees live in urban areas, facing integration challenges
24
Refugee unemployment: 60% vs 10% host population average
25
Refugee remittances: $10 billion sent home annually from urban refugees
26
85% of protracted refugees below poverty line (<$2.15/day)
27
Education loss: Refugee children lose 1.5 years schooling on average
28
Healthcare access: Only 50% of refugees have regular medical care
Interpretation
Demographics And Vulnerabilities Interpretation
Across demographics and vulnerabilities, refugee populations are heavily concentrated among those at extreme risk, with women and girls making up 52% and children under 18 accounting for 40% while LGBTQ+ people face 3 times higher rejection rates and elderly refugees, though only 4% of the population, experience mortality rates 10 times higher.
03 · Category
Humanitarian Aid And Responses27 stats
01
UNHCR budget: $10.2B in 2023 for refugee response, 43% funded
02
WFP fed 13 million refugees in 2023, $8.4B appeal
03
Refugee resettlement: Only 107,000 places in 2023 vs 2M need
04
EU-Turkey deal: €6B paid 2016-2023 for Syrian hosting
05
US refugee cap: 125,000 set for FY2024, up from 11K prior
06
Cash assistance: Reached 7 million refugees via $2B program in 2023
07
Vaccination campaigns: 20M refugee children immunized 2023
08
Education: 6.6M refugee children in school, still 50% out
09
Protection referrals: IOM assisted 1.5M vulnerable migrants 2023
10
Sudan response: $3B appeal 2024, 20% funded
11
Ukraine plan: $4B for refugees, hosting countries aid
12
Rohingya JRP: $1B/year for Bangladesh camps
13
Returns voluntary: 500K Afghans aided in returns 2022-2023
14
Family reunification: 50K cases processed in Europe 2023
15
Legal aid: Only 30% asylum seekers get lawyers in US
16
Camp management: UNHCR manages 500+ camps for 10M people
17
Winterization: $200M for heating 5M refugees in 2023
18
Digital solutions: 2M refugees registered biometrically
19
NGO partnerships: MSF treated 10M refugees medically 2023
20
Local integration policies: 500K refugees naturalized in host countries 2023
21
Global Compact on Refugees: 50 countries committed to burden-sharing
22
Funding gap: $25B shortfall in 2023 appeals
23
Private sector: $500M raised for refugee employment 2023
24
Vaccine equity: COVAX delivered 100M doses to refugees
25
Durable solutions: Only 2% of refugees repatriated, 1% resettled, 5% integrated 2023
26
Policy reforms: EU Pact on Migration adopted 2024 for faster processing
27
Regional plans: IGAD supports 2M refugees in East Africa
Interpretation
Humanitarian Aid And Responses Interpretation
In 2023, humanitarian support for refugees at massive scale still lagged behind needs, with WFP feeding 13 million people while only 107,000 resettlement places were available against 2 million needing it and UNHCR’s $10.2B response was just 43% funded.
More related reading
04 · Category
Origins And Destinations26 stats
01
Syria was the origin of 25% of global refugees in 2023
02
Afghanistan accounted for 14% of the world's refugees as of end-2023
03
South Sudan produced 13% of global refugees in 2023
04
Myanmar contributed 7% of refugees, mainly Rohingya to Bangladesh
05
DRC was origin for 5% of refugees, hosted mainly in Uganda and Rwanda
06
Venezuela displaced 7.7 million, with 6 million abroad, mostly to Latin America
07
Ukraine refugees primarily went to Poland (980,000), Germany (1.1 million), Czechia (380,000) by 2024
08
Syrian refugees mainly in Turkey (3.3M), Lebanon (1.5M), Jordan (660K), Germany (900K)
09
Rohingya refugees: 97% in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, with 33,000 in India
10
Sudanese refugees fled to Chad (590K), South Sudan (650K), Ethiopia (530K) by mid-2024
11
Afghan refugees hosted in Iran (780K registered), Pakistan (1.3M), Europe (500K+)
12
Somali refugees primarily in Ethiopia (450K), Kenya (540K), Yemen (190K)
13
Central African Republic refugees in Cameroon (340K), Chad (410K), DRC (180K)
14
Eritrean refugees mostly in Ethiopia (130K), Sudan (140K), Israel (20K remaining)
15
Iraqi refugees declined to 300K globally, mainly in Turkey and Iran
16
Nigerian refugees and IDPs from Boko Haram: 340K refugees in Niger, Chad, Cameroon
17
Yemenis: 4.5 million IDPs, 170K refugees abroad in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia
18
Palestinians under UNRWA: 5.9 million registered refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank/Gaza
19
Sudanese in Egypt: 1 million refugees and migrants by 2024
20
Venezuelans in Peru: 1.5 million, Ecuador 500K, Chile 450K
21
Burundian refugees: 450K in Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC post-2015 crisis
22
Libyan returns and third-country nationals: 200K displaced internally
23
Haitians fleeing to Dominican Republic: 500K migrants/refugees
24
Rohingya returns attempted: 0 successful voluntary returns to Myanmar since 2017
25
Ukrainian refugees in Russia: 1.3 million claimed, but verification disputed
26
Syrian returns to Syria: 1.2 million spontaneous returns since 2016
Interpretation
Origins And Destinations Interpretation
From an origins and destinations perspective, the refugee picture in 2023 is driven by a few major source countries with Syria generating 25% and Afghanistan 14% of global refugees, while displacement also concentrates regionally with South Sudan at 13% and Venezuela’s 6 million refugees abroad largely staying within Latin America.
05 · Category
Population And Displacement Numbers30 stats
01
As of mid-2024, the global forcibly displaced population reached 120 million people, including 36.8 million refugees, 72.1 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and 8.4 million asylum-seekers
02
In 2023, the number of refugees under UNHCR's mandate increased by 1.6 million to 36.8 million, driven primarily by conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine
03
Syria remained the largest refugee origin country with 6.2 million refugees globally as of end-2023
04
Ukraine produced 6.5 million refugees since February 2022, mostly hosted in Europe
05
By June 2024, Sudan had over 10 million IDPs, the highest in any single country
06
Afghanistan saw 6.3 million refugees and 5.8 million IDPs as of 2024
07
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had 7.3 million IDPs and 1 million refugees in 2023
08
South Sudan hosted 2.2 million refugees while having 2 million IDPs internally in 2023
09
Myanmar's Rohingya crisis displaced 1.2 million, with 740,000 in Bangladesh camps as of 2024
10
Somalia had 3.8 million IDPs and 900,000 refugees in 2023
11
By end-2023, 43% of all refugees were hosted in low- and middle-income countries
12
Least developed countries provided asylum to 25% of the world's refugees in 2023
13
Sub-Saharan Africa hosted 31% of global refugees despite comprising 14% of world population
14
Europe saw a 35% increase in asylum applications to 1.2 million in 2023
15
The US resettled only 11,000 refugees in FY2023, down from pre-pandemic levels
16
Turkey hosted 3.3 million Syrian refugees under temporary protection as of 2024
17
Lebanon sheltered 1.5 million Syrian refugees, equivalent to 25% of its population
18
Jordan had 660,000 Syrian refugees registered in 2023
19
Germany received 350,000 asylum applications in 2023, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan
20
Colombia hosted 2.5 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants by 2024
21
As of 2023, 71% of refugees originated from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and DRC
22
Women and girls constituted 49% of the refugee population in 2023
23
Children under 18 made up 42% of all refugees globally in 2023
24
Prolonged refugee situations lasting 5+ years affected 75% of refugees in 2023
25
IDP numbers surged 8% to 71.1 million in 2023
26
Gaza Strip had 1.9 million IDPs by end-2023 due to conflict
27
Ukraine had 3.7 million IDPs registered internally as of 2024
28
Ethiopia hosted 870,000 refugees while having 4.4 million IDPs in 2023
29
Pakistan sheltered 1.4 million Afghan refugees in 2023
30
Iran hosted 3.4 million Afghans, including refugees and undocumented, as of 2023
Interpretation
Population And Displacement Numbers Interpretation
As of mid-2024, the population under displacement is at an all-time high with 120 million forcibly displaced worldwide, including 36.8 million refugees and 72.1 million internally displaced people, showing that internal displacement now represents the largest share of the crisis.
report visual · Breakdown
Demographics & Vulnerabilities in Refugee Populations
Women and children make up a large share of refugees, and many face heightened protection and health risks.
40%
40% of refugees are children under 18, many unaccompanied
60%
60% of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon out of school
report visual · Key figures
Economic and social impact comparison
High social strain and underinvestment alongside large economic spillovers and ongoing costs show a mixed—but heavily pressured—impact profile.
40%
Lebanon economy shrank 40% since 2019 partly due to 1.5M Syrian refugees
30%
Healthcare strain in Lebanon: Refugees use 30% of public hospitals
90%
Turkish informal employment: 90% of Syrian refugees in low-wage jobs
€30 billion
Europe asylum costs: €30 billion annually for 1M+ applications
40%
Global aid appeal: $27B needed for refugees in 2024, only 40% funded
report visual · Comparison
Refugee Response: Funding Coverage vs Coverage Shortfalls
Illustrates how much of major humanitarian appeals is funded and the scale of remaining gaps.
UNHCR budget: $10.2B in 2023 for refugee response, 43% funded43%
Funding gap: $25B shortfall in 2023 appeals
$25
Sudan response: $3B appeal 2024, 20% funded
20%
WFP fed 13 million refugees in 2023, $8.4B appeal
$8.4
report visual · Comparison
Major refugee origins (share of global refugees)
Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan represent the largest shares of global refugees in 2023, underscoring concentrated displacement pressures.
Syria was the origin of 25% of global refugees in 202325%
Afghanistan accounted for 14% of the world's refugees as of end-202314%
South Sudan produced 13% of global refugees in 202313%
Myanmar contributed 7% of refugees, mainly Rohingya to Bangladesh7%
DRC was origin for 5% of refugees, hosted mainly in Uganda and Rwanda5%
report visual · Comparison
Global displacement rising—refugees grow within a larger forcibly displaced population
Refugees increased in 2023, contributing to a larger mid-2024 total of forcibly displaced people worldwide.
As of mid-2024, the global forcibly displaced population reached 120 million people, including 36.8 million refugees, 72-2024
In 2023, the number of refugees under UNHCR's mandate increased by 1.6 million to 36.8 million, driven primarily by conf
2023
Syria remained the largest refugee origin country with 6.2 million refugees globally as of end-2023
6.2
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Refugee Crisis Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/refugee-crisis-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Refugee Crisis Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/refugee-crisis-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Refugee Crisis Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/refugee-crisis-statistics.
Sources & references
37 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level