Germany hosts nearly 4 million refugees, second highest worldwide

Official German statistics released by Destatis show that the country’s refugee population has reached about 4 million, the highest number since World War II. Ukrainians account for roughly 25 % (around 832,000) of the total, while Syrians represent over 22 %. Other sizable groups include Afghans (316,000), Iraqis (186,000), Turks (146,000), Poles (120,000) and Iranians (117,000). The latest influxes stem from the Syrian civil war (1.2 million arriving between 2014‑2021) and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (1.1 million since 2022).

The UN refugee agency’s 2025 report ranks Germany as the world’s second‑largest refuge‑seeker host with 2.7 million individuals, behind Colombia’s 2.8 million. The UN count differs because it excludes people who have obtained permanent residence or citizenship. The report notes that German refugees are now largely Ukrainians (1.2 million) and Syrians (668,600), with Afghan nationals at 288,300. These figures underline Germany’s central role in global displacement and fuel ongoing domestic political debate over immigration policy and integration costs.