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How many refugees are there in the world? Where do refugees come from, and where do they live? Which countries have the most refugees?
How many of these refugees need to be resettled, and how many of them are resettled? Where do they come from and live? Which countries resettle the most refugees?
How many refugees are there?
This graph shows the number of people who are ‘forcibly displaced’ in the world – that is, they have been forced to leave home, for example because of conflict, disaster or persecution. UNHCR most recently estimated that, by mid-2021, for the first time in recorded history, the number of people forcibly displaced is now 84 million, and over 26.6 million refugees.
Why are people forced to leave their homes?
Most people who are forced to leave home stay inside the same country, and are called 'internally displaced'.
Two international bodies are responsible for refugees, who leave their country of origin. UNHCR is responsible for most refugees, but the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is responsible for refugees in Palestine. These are grouped together in the graph above.
