What’s behind the latest displacement numbers?

While the number of refugees declined by about 3% in 2025 compared to the end of 2024, the overall displacement trend remains upward.

Global displacement has nearly tripled over the past two decades, driven by a combination of long-standing conflicts, political instability, human rights abuses, climate related pressures, and humanitarian crises. From Syria and Afghanistan to Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, ongoing emergencies have forced millions of people from their homes. In Ukraine alone, over 13% of homes have been damaged or destroyed since 2022, leaving many without a home to return to.

Behind these figures are people whose lives have been disrupted for years. Children make up an estimated 39% of refugees, with more than 2.4 million born into displacement between 2018 and 2025. For these children, life as a refugee often means limited access to education and healthcare, trauma, and exploitation. Many will spend their entire lives in displacement. Take William, for example, who fled his home country of Angola at age 7. He is now 60, and continues to live at Mayukwayukwa refugee settlement in Zambia. By now, he considers Zambia his home, and if he were to return to Angola, he would have no home there.

As new crises emerge and existing ones become harder to resolve, millions remain displaced, unable to return home safely or rebuild their lives in another country.

At a time when displacement is high, strengthening legal pathways and other lasting solutions are critical to helping refugees find safety and stability.

The decline in refugee numbers was driven in large part by an extraordinary wave of returns. In 2025, 14.7 million displaced people—including 4.4 million refugees—returned to their countries of origin. In the 60 years of available data, refugee returns this past year were the second-highest on record.

At first glance, the numbers may suggest progress, but the reality is more complex.

For many refugees, returning home was not necessarily a sign that conditions had improved, rather they went back under pressure from their host country, and to conditions that remain dangerous and unstable. More than 1 million people returned to Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government—a country still navigating a fragile political transition—while nearly 2 million Afghans returned to Afghanistan after being forced out of countries like Pakistan and Iran.

As Barham Salih, the U.N. refugee agency chief, noted, “Returns that are not safe and returns to countries that are involuntary are not solutions.” Instead, it leaves people vulnerable to renewed displacement.

While many refugees have returned home, many more are stuck in prolonged displacement. Last year, 70% of refugees spent at least five years living in exile. Many originated from just a handful of countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar, where ongoing crises have left millions with no clear path to return.

Ultimately, a close look at the data underscores the enduring challenges that continue to force people from their homes—and the urgent need for lasting solutions.

A rare bright spot in this year’s data is the 46,100 stateless people—those who are not recognized as a citizen by any country—who acquired citizenship across 24 countries. The number of refugees who obtained citizenship or permanent residency in their host countries rose by 5%, reaching 93,500 people in 2025. While modest compared to the broader scale of global displacement, it represents a meaningful step toward a durable solution, reflecting progress on one of the most overlooked challenges in forced displacement.

Citizenship is a key step toward long-term security and stability, but the process can be complex and overwhelming for many. The Welcome.US Citizen Guide program matches volunteers with aspiring Americans to support them on their citizenship journey.

Support an aspiring American as they take the final step toward citizenship. As a Citizen Guide, you are matched one-on-one with a green card holder “learner” preparing for the U.S. citizenship exam. The program is entirely virtual with a flexible schedule that you set with your learner.

While the work is as simple as studying civics questions together or practicing English conversation, for the person you'll be helping, this is about more than studying—it’s a meaningful step toward building their future.

Attend an info session to learn more about the program and how you can get started →

Refugees and other newcomers are being affected by shifting policies that can create uncertainty. With sponsorship pathways and humanitarian programs paused in the U.S., and the refugee admission cap set at a historic low of 17,500 (mostly allocated for Afrikaners from South Africa), many individuals and families from some of the countries with the highest displacement numbers have been restricted from entry.

Your voice matters. Contacting your representative can help advance policies that support safe, legal, and orderly pathways for those seeking safety.

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Whether you’ve walked alongside a newcomer as a sponsor or supported our mission of welcome in other ways, you already know that welcoming newcomers is impactful work. Join our Welcomer affinity groups to support Haitians and Ukrainians, connect with others, share ideas, and learn from experts and partners about emerging needs and opportunities. These groups meet for an hour once a month.

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