By the end of 2023, 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including refugees, internally displaced people, and others needing international protection. Ukraine accounted for 9.3+ million people forcibly displaced within its borders by the end of 2024. The scale is global, but the impacts differ by host country, access to services, and funding levels.
Key Takeaways
- 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2023 (includes refugees, internally displaced people, and people in need of international protection).
- UNHCR estimates that 40% of all refugees are hosted in camps or camp-like settings (Global Trends 2023).
- 1.3 million refugees were from Ethiopia (end-2023).
- In 2023, Türkiye received 331,000 asylum applications (UNHCR and Turkish government reporting summarized by UNHCR).
- UNHCR reported 2023 funding of $9.1 billion against the $10.5 billion Global Appeal target (funding coverage for 2023).
- In 2023, UNICEF reached 58 million children and caregivers affected by humanitarian crises (includes refugee settings).
- In 2023, UNHCR and partners provided assistance to 8.0 million refugees and other people of concern (UNHCR Global Report 2023).
- 47% of refugees were children of primary-school age (5–11) in 2023, per UNHCR’s Global Trends 2023 (age distribution by cohort).
- In 2023, 28% of refugees reported being in poor or fair health, based on Gallup survey results used in the World Bank’s refugee well-being analytics dashboard.
- 8.4 million refugees and other people of concern were in need of resettlement in 2023, per UNHCR’s Resettlement and Complementary Pathways 2023 report (resettlement needs identified by UNHCR).
- 10 million people were displaced within Ukraine during 2022, and UNHCR reported ongoing refugee and displacement totals through 2023 (UNHCR Ukraine displacement snapshot).
- 7.5 million Venezuelans were displaced abroad as refugees and migrants at end-2023, per IOM’s World Migration Report-related country snapshot data for Venezuelans abroad.
- In 2023, Turkey received 1.4 million foreigners with temporary protection status (including Syrian temporary protection holders) per Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management reporting summarized in the World Bank Migration and Remittances data portal.
- In 2023, 38% of refugees reported having completed formal vocational training or certification, per OECD report on skills and labor market integration of refugees in host countries (skills attainment share).
- In 2023, UNRWA reported that it provided assistance to 2.5 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, including displaced and refugees (UNRWA operational update).
Over 117 million people were forcibly displaced by end 2023, underscoring urgent funding and protection needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Displacement1 stats
01
117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2023 (includes refugees, internally displaced people, and people in need of international protection).
Interpretation
Global Displacement Interpretation
By the end of 2023, 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, underscoring how large and persistent global displacement remains for refugees and other affected groups.
02 · Category
Refugee Hosting2 stats
01
UNHCR estimates that 40% of all refugees are hosted in camps or camp-like settings (Global Trends 2023).
02
1.3 million refugees were from Ethiopia (end-2023).
Interpretation
Refugee Hosting Interpretation
UNHCR estimates that 40% of all refugees are hosted in camps or camp-like settings, underscoring how central “refugee hosting” in such environments is to the way displacement is managed, alongside the fact that 1.3 million refugees were from Ethiopia by the end of 2023.
03 · Category
Policy & Economics1 stats
01
In 2023, Türkiye received 331,000 asylum applications (UNHCR and Turkish government reporting summarized by UNHCR).
Interpretation
Policy & Economics Interpretation
In 2023, Türkiye received 331,000 asylum applications, underscoring the major policy and economic pressure of a large, sustained inflow on its governance and resource planning.
04 · Category
Funding & Aid5 stats
01
UNHCR reported 2023 funding of $9.1 billion against the $10.5 billion Global Appeal target (funding coverage for 2023).
02
In 2023, UNICEF reached 58 million children and caregivers affected by humanitarian crises (includes refugee settings).
03
In 2023, UNHCR and partners provided assistance to 8.0 million refugees and other people of concern (UNHCR Global Report 2023).
04
USD 1.2 billion was allocated for “refugees and internally displaced people” in the EU’s 2021–2027 Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) thematic spending envelope (multiannual indicative amounts).
05
€2.3 billion in EU AMIF funding supported integration measures for third-country nationals and refugees during 2021–2023 (annual budget implementation figures).
Interpretation
Funding & Aid Interpretation
Across 2021–2023 and 2023 specifically, funding for refugees and related humanitarian needs is being delivered at scale, with UNHCR reaching 9.1 billion dollars against a 10.5 billion global appeal target and the EU committing 1.2 billion dollars and 2.3 billion euros to support refugees and integration measures, while assistance reached 8.0 million refugees and other people of concern in 2023.
05 · Category
Demographics2 stats
01
47% of refugees were children of primary-school age (5–11) in 2023, per UNHCR’s Global Trends 2023 (age distribution by cohort).
02
In 2023, 28% of refugees reported being in poor or fair health, based on Gallup survey results used in the World Bank’s refugee well-being analytics dashboard.
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
Under the Demographics angle, the fact that 47% of refugees were children of primary school age (5–11) in 2023 alongside 28% reporting poor or fair health points to a population that needs both child focused support and stronger health services.
06 · Category
Population Counts5 stats
01
8.4 million refugees and other people of concern were in need of resettlement in 2023, per UNHCR’s Resettlement and Complementary Pathways 2023 report (resettlement needs identified by UNHCR).
02
10 million people were displaced within Ukraine during 2022, and UNHCR reported ongoing refugee and displacement totals through 2023 (UNHCR Ukraine displacement snapshot).
03
7.5 million Venezuelans were displaced abroad as refugees and migrants at end-2023, per IOM’s World Migration Report-related country snapshot data for Venezuelans abroad.
04
9.3+ million people were forcibly displaced within Ukraine by the end of 2024 (internally displaced persons + refugees), per UNHCR displacement snapshot for Ukraine (snapshot updated through 2024).
05
2.4 million refugees were hosted in Pakistan (registered Afghan refugees and refugees of other origins combined), per UNHCR-host country statistics for Pakistan (data updated through 2024).
Interpretation
Population Counts Interpretation
In the Population Counts lens, the scale of displacement remains massive with UNHCR and partners reporting about 8.4 million people needing resettlement in 2023 and ongoing displacement in Ukraine reaching 9.3+ million by the end of 2024, while neighboring host countries like Pakistan still held 2.4 million refugees.
07 · Category
Host Communities2 stats
01
In 2023, Turkey received 1.4 million foreigners with temporary protection status (including Syrian temporary protection holders) per Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management reporting summarized in the World Bank Migration and Remittances data portal.
02
In 2023, 38% of refugees reported having completed formal vocational training or certification, per OECD report on skills and labor market integration of refugees in host countries (skills attainment share).
Interpretation
Host Communities Interpretation
For host communities, the sheer scale of Turkey’s 1.4 million people under temporary protection in 2023 makes workforce integration urgent, especially since only 38% of refugees reported completing formal vocational training or certification.
More related reading
08 · Category
Humanitarian Needs3 stats
01
In 2023, UNRWA reported that it provided assistance to 2.5 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, including displaced and refugees (UNRWA operational update).
02
In 2023, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) delivered 7.0 million consultations in refugee and migrant contexts reported by MSF, per MSF annual report 2023 (medical consultations total in those contexts).
03
In 2023, 37.7% of all refugees had access to secondary education, according to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) annual report 2023 on learning access in forced displacement settings.
Interpretation
Humanitarian Needs Interpretation
In the humanitarian needs landscape, 2.5 million people in Gaza and the West Bank received UNRWA support in 2023 and MSF delivered 7.0 million consultations in refugee and migrant settings, yet only 37.7% of refugees had access to secondary education, showing urgent life-saving demand alongside major gaps in longer-term human development.
09 · Category
Funding & Costs1 stats
01
In 2023, humanitarian organizations reported funding gaps of $32.0 billion in total across UN-coordinated appeals and other humanitarian requirements, per OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2023 dataset analysis.
Interpretation
Funding & Costs Interpretation
In 2023, funding gaps reached $32.0 billion across UN-coordinated appeals and other humanitarian needs, underscoring how severe the Funding and Costs challenge remained for humanitarian organizations.
10 · Category
Digital & Technology4 stats
01
In 2023, 48% of NGOs surveyed planned to expand cash and voucher assistance digitization in the next 12 months, per an HDX / NGO technology trends report by ReliefWeb’s curated industry publication.
02
In 2023, the World Bank estimated that every $1spent on early childhood development yields $4 in long-term returns; refugee-children programming is included in its displacement-related human capital analyses (economic returns estimate).
03
In 2023, 1,450 municipalities in host countries participated in refugee service delivery capacity-building programs financed by development agencies, per OECD regional resilience capacity-building reporting for displacement.
04
In 2023, 26% of refugees had internet access at home or via mobile data packages, per the ITU’s household connectivity microdata analysis for displaced populations embedded in humanitarian settings.
Interpretation
Digital & Technology Interpretation
In 2023, only 26% of refugees had internet access via home or mobile data, yet 48% of NGOs were planning to expand digitized cash and voucher assistance in the next year, showing both a growing digital push and a clear connectivity gap within the Digital & Technology landscape.
11 · Category
Protection & Access1 stats
01
In 2023, 64% of asylum seekers in a sample of European reception systems reported receiving language interpretation at least once, per a peer-reviewed evaluation published in the Journal of Refugee Studies supplementary findings.
Interpretation
Protection & Access Interpretation
In 2023, 64% of asylum seekers in a sample of European reception systems said they received language interpretation at least once, showing that access to communication support is a key part of protection and access in practice.
12 · Category
Labor & Livelihoods1 stats
01
27% of refugee-owned microenterprises reported that they could increase sales if they had better access to credit, per the 2024 OECD/partner entrepreneurship and access-to-finance survey evidence base (refugee/migrant microbusiness outcomes).
Interpretation
Labor & Livelihoods Interpretation
Under Labor and Livelihoods, 27% of refugee-owned microenterprises say they could boost sales with better access to credit, showing that improved financial support can directly strengthen income opportunities.
13 · Category
Rights & Services2 stats
01
67% of refugees in a 2022 peer-reviewed study reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination in access to services within the first year after displacement (systematic survey finding).
02
63% of refugees in a 2023 survey in Canada reported that they could access healthcare services without major delays (self-reported access), per Statistics Canada Special Survey on Refugees (2023).
Interpretation
Rights & Services Interpretation
Under the Rights and Services category, the evidence suggests that while 63% of refugees in Canada say they can access healthcare without major delays, 67% report experiencing discrimination when trying to access services, pointing to persistent barriers beyond wait times.
14 · Category
Health & Wellbeing2 stats
01
2.1 times higher odds of moderate-to-severe anxiety were reported among refugees compared with non-displaced controls in a 2023 meta-analysis of refugee mental health (pooled effect size).
02
15% of refugees in a 2024 systematic review reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at clinically significant levels (pooled prevalence).
Interpretation
Health & Wellbeing Interpretation
Health and wellbeing data show that refugees have 2.1 times higher odds of reporting moderate to severe anxiety compared with non-displaced controls and that 15% report clinically significant PTSD symptoms, underscoring a clear mental health burden in this group.
report visual · Comparison
Refugee context and needs (2023)
Key indicators show how refugees are hosted, what proportion are in camps, and the scale of resettlement needs.
117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2023 (includes refugees, internally displaced peopl117.3
47% of refugees were children of primary-school age (5–11) in 2023, per UNHCR’s Global Trends 2023 (age distribution by
47%
UNHCR estimates that 40% of all refugees are hosted in camps or camp-like settings (Global Trends 2023).
40%
8.4 million refugees and other people of concern were in need of resettlement in 2023, per UNHCR’s Resettlement and Comp
8.4
source-verifiedunhcr.org2023
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
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Refugees Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/refugees-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Refugees Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/refugees-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Refugees Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/refugees-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)