Refugee Statistics and Facts from Around the World

The refugee crisis is a human crisis: Behind the statistics are people filled with unique life experiences and dreams for the future. They are mothers longing to return home, fathers yearning to work again, children searching for a childhood.

Today, there are more than 70 million refugees around the world, people who are displaced from their homes due to war or prosecution in their home countries. When it comes to where more than half of refugees come from, just five countries are on the list: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.

All refugees have endured unbelievable loss, yet they are resilient with the willingness to overcome their hardships, but they cannot do it alone. It takes people, like you and I, to make all the difference in their lives, in hopes for a better future.

Below are some statistics in regard to refugees all over the globe:

• Syria alone has 6.7 million refugees. After the war that began in March of 2011, many people were displaced from their homes, fleeing to surrounding countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

• Afghanistan gives us a number of 2.7 million refugees. The country has experienced war and a poor economic status, leaving many out of jobs and fleeing to countries like Iran, Pakistan and Europe.

• South Sudan gives a number of 2.3 million refugees, making it the largest refugee crisis in Africa. Since the civil war in 2013, many Sudanese have been displaced from their homes, mostly women and children.

• Since violence broke out in Myanmar in 2017, many people have been displaced, fleeing to Bangladesh and leaving the country strained.

• Somalia is the fifth country with the largest number of refugees, at almost one million refugees. The ongoing conflict and natural disasters have caused much of this displacement.

• Today, there are over 70 million people around the world that fall under the category of being a refugee or displaced person, the high number since World War II.

• More than half of the world’s refugees are under the age of 18, considered minorities.

• Around the world, more than 80% of refugees are housed in developing countries.

• About 70% of families that fall under the refugee category live below the defined poverty line.

• 4% of refugees are made up of pregnant women

• Every two seconds, a person is displaced against their choice due to war, poverty, prosecution and natural disasters.

Article by: Hala Sanyurah