Global Forced Displacement Falls for First Time in a Decade, UNHCR Says
Global Forced Displacement Falls for First Time in a Decade, UNHCR Says
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The number of people forcibly displaced by war, violence and persecution fell in 2025 for the first time in a decade, though global displacement remains alarmingly high, according to the UN refugee agency.
UNHCR’s latest Global Trends report said 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2025, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and others in need of international protection.
The decline was driven largely by increased returns and naturalizations. Around 14.7 million refugees and internally displaced people returned home during the year, a 50 percent increase from 2024 and one of the highest figures recorded since 1965.
Most returns took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Myanmar.
Afghanistan saw one of the largest return movements, with about 2.9 million Afghans returning in 2025, including 1.9 million refugees. UNHCR said many returns were driven by stricter policies in Iran and Pakistan, with some returnees saying they had little choice but to leave.
Syria also recorded about 1.3 million returns, reducing the global Syrian refugee population from 6 million to 4.9 million by the end of 2025. Returnees, however, continue to face destruction, economic collapse and limited access to basic services.
UNHCR said 41.6 million people remained refugees or in refugee-like situations, including about 6 million Palestinian refugees. Around 68.7 million people were internally displaced, while millions more remained asylum seekers or stateless.
