UNHCR says global forced displacement falls to 117.8 million, one in 70 people displaced

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2025 – about one in 70 individuals. This marks the first decline in forced displacement in a decade, with a roughly 4 % drop driven by large‑scale returns: 14.7 million people returned to their homes, including 4.4 million refugees and 10.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Of the displaced, 68.6 million are IDPs, 28.5 million are refugees under the UNHCR mandate, 9 million are asylum‑seekers, and 6 million are Palestinian refugees under UNRWA. Seven source countries – Venezuela, Palestine, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan and South Sudan – account for 72 % of refugees. The largest host nations are Colombia, Germany, Turkey, Uganda, Iran, Chad and Pakistan, together sheltering more than one‑third of the world’s refugee population.

The report notes a growing displacement crisis in Lebanon and the impact of the U.S.–Israel war on Iran that began in March 2026, which has forced over one million people from Israel‑controlled areas and displaced 3.2 million within Iran. Overall, 41.6 million refugees remained at the end of 2025, with 70 % residing in neighboring or low‑ and middle‑income countries, and 4.5 million stateless persons recorded.