News: 2020 Global Trends Report Published

UNHCR released its annual Global Trends report today, in advance of World Refugee Day. Here are some of its main findings:

1. At the end of 2020, the total number of forcibly displaced around the world came to 82.4 million people compared with 79.5 million in 2019 (a 4% increase); 

2. This population breaks down as follows: 

- 26.4 million refugees (20.7 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate plus 5.7 million Palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate);

- 48.0 million internally displaced people;

- 4.1 million asylum-seekers;

- 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad

3. More than two thirds of all people who fled abroad came from just five countries: Syria (6.7 million), Venezuela (4.0 million), Afghanistan (2.6 million), South Sudan (2.2 million) and Myanmar (1.1 million).

4. The vast majority of the world’s refugees – nearly 86% – are hosted by countries neighbouring crisis areas and low- and middle-income countries. Least Developed Countries provided asylum to 27% of the total.

5. The top five host countries are Turkey (3.7 million refugees), Colombia (1.7 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), Uganda (1.4 million) & Germany (1.2 million).

More details are provided in this UNHCR press release and news story. See also related observations on how these statistics are reported.

Also published was UNHCR's annual Global Report, "which reports on UNHCR programmes and activities to address the needs of all who are forced to flee, as well as the world’s known stateless populations."

Previous editions of Global Trends reports can be accessed here.