World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day honors refugees from around the globe, shining a light on the strength and tenacity of people who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or crisis. In recent years, the number of refugees has increased dramatically. According to the World Health Organization, at the end of 2024, there were 42.7 million refugees worldwide. 

In 2023, the majority of refugees came from low-income economies including Afghanistan and Syria, the countries with the largest number of refugees by origin. Ukraine, an upper-middle income country, had the third highest number of refugees. Nearly 1 in 4 refugees (with the exception of Palestinian refugees) took asylum in high-income countries. 

West Bank and Gaza had the fourth highest number of refugees. Of the refugees from the West Bank and Gaza, nearly 90% went to lower middle-income economies and the other 10% to low-income economies.

Refugees face countless challenges, many leaving behind jobs, property, education, and social networks to adjust to a new place. In refugee camps or even upon arrival to a new country, they often face new challenges, such as linguistic and cultural barriers, discrimination and isolation, or a lack of basic needs (food, clean water, shelter, sanitation, and healthcare). The vulnerability of refugees – people caught between the crossfires of conflict, persecution, and politics, makes this day that much more important – that we show solidarity for refugees, to say that refugees are not alone and that we will not turn our backs.  

To shed light on the story of refugees, we use data from both the UNHCR and the UNRWA hosted in the World Development Indicators (WDI). Both the UNHCR and the UNRWA work to support refugees: the UNRWA’s mandate is focused on Palestinian refugees, and the UNHCR serves all other populations worldwide. The significance of the indicator is further underscored by its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework as Target 10.7.