The Number of Forcibly Displaced Has Skyrocketed

The number of people reported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as forcibly displaced worldwide has risen from around 24 million in 1993 to over 120 million in 2024. According to the latest figures, just over half of those recorded as displaced in 2024 were internally displaced persons, equating to some 73.5 million people.

The next biggest groups were refugees (31 million) and asylum seekers (8.4 million). Unlike internally displaced persons, a refugee is someone who has crossed an international border after having been forced to flee conflict or persecution. An asylum seeker is defined as someone who intends to seek or is awaiting a decision on their request for international protection.

It’s important to note here that actual numbers are likely even higher as this data only reflects the number of people identified by the UN as forcibly displaced. This chart therefore reflects the expansion of the scope of the UNHCR's mandate and points to the scale of the number of people who are unable to return to their homes.