Armed conflict drives record internal displacement in 2025

An annual report released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council finds that 2025 saw 82.2 million people internally displaced, the second‑highest total on record. The year recorded 32 million new internal displacements, a 60 % increase over 2024, and for the first time armed conflict and violence became the leading cause, surpassing natural disasters.

Two‑thirds of conflict‑driven displacements occurred in Iran and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with roughly 10 million IDPs in each country. Sudan reported the highest conflict‑related figure, exceeding 9 million for the third consecutive year, followed by Colombia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. Displacements caused by floods, storms and other natural hazards fell to 29.9 million, a 35 % drop from the previous year, while climate‑related events such as forest fires forced about 700 000 people from their homes.

IDMC director Tressi Lucas called the surge “a historic alarm signal,” and NRC director Jan Eckeland warned that the scale of internal displacement reflects a global failure to prevent conflict and protect civilians. The report also highlighted funding cuts for humanitarian aid, including reductions by the United States under President Donald Trump.