POPULATIONS OF CONCERN TO UNHCR
Refugees (and people in refugee-like situations)
Asylum seekers
Returned refugees
IDPs of concern to UNHCR
Returned IDPs
Europe
13%
Stateless persons
Middle East
and North
Africa
Others of concern to UNHCR
Venezuelans displaced abroad
17%
West and
Central
Africa
Asia and
the Pacific
12%
11%
East and Horn
of Africa and
the Great
Lakes
The
Americas
18%
20%
Southern
Africa
9%
END DECEMBER 2021
East and Horn of
Africa and the
Great Lakes
Middle East and
North Africa
TOTAL
POPULATION OF
CONCERN
6,971,691
2,414,999
20,885,785
353,104
32,028
26,000
441,132
738,517
4,154,615
7,003,719
2,440,999
21,326,917
57,664
2,524,543
205,789
1,093,527
257,424
4,623,754
910
46,775
7
1,546
14
37,784
429,234
11,686,769
6,287,219
7,270,520
7,084,592
4,366,634
2,107,239
12,519,650
51,322,623
2,095,357
1,041,368
706,507
-
1,119,268
359
302,763
5,265,622
103,281
-
931,281
4,550
2,412,453
515,429
370,564
4,337,558
23,839
36,520
158,838
2,217,249
284,031
1,446,688
56,662
4,223,827
-
-
-
4,406,409
-
-
-
4,406,409
19,164,667
8,438,318
10,659,935
16,975,313
11,342,153
12,097,566
15,985,782
94,663,734
Southern Africa
West and Central
Africa
4,717,470
783,247
1,488,350
708,517
3,801,511
-
-
-
30,000
4,717,470
783,247
1,488,350
Asylum seekers²
195,753
289,054
Returned refugees³
342,198
Refugees
People in refugee-like
situations¹
Total refugees and
people in refugee-like
situations
IDPs of concern to
UNHCR⁴
Returned IDPs⁵
Stateless persons⁶
Others of concern to
UNHCR⁷
Venezuelans displaced
abroad⁸
TOTAL
10 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2021
Asia and the
Pacific
The Americas
Europe
The data are generally provided by governments, based on their own definitions and methods
of data collection. A dash (“-”) indicates that the value is zero, not available or not applicable.
All data are provisional and subject to change. More information on people of concern to
UNHCR in 2021, including statistical trends and changes of global displacement during the
year, can be found in the 2021 Global Trends report.
¹ This category includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin
and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for
practical or other reasons, not been ascertained.
² Asylum seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims
for refugee status have not yet been determined. This table includes claimants whose
individual applications were pending at the end of 2021, irrespective of when those claims may
have been lodged.
³ Refugees who have returned to their place of origin during 2021. Source: country of origin
and asylum.
⁴ For the purposes of UNHCR’s statistics, this population includes only conflict-generated IDPs
to whom the Office extends protection and/or assistance.
⁵ IDPs of concern to UNHCR who have returned to their place of origin during 2021.
⁶ Refers to persons who are not considered as nationals by any State under the operation of
its law. This category refers to persons who fall under the agency’s statelessness mandate
because they are stateless according to this international definition, but data from some
countries may also include persons with undetermined nationality. The figure reported
includes stateless persons who are also refugees or asylum seekers from Myanmar, IDPs in
Myanmar, or others of concern to UNHCR. UNHCR’s statistical reporting generally follows a
methodology that reports on one legal status for each person of concern only. However, due to
the extraordinary size of the displaced stateless population from Myanmar, UNHCR considers
it important to reflect the dual status that this population group possesses. Additional stateless
refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs will be reported on as UNHCR continues to review and
improve its reporting on stateless persons with a dual status.
⁷ Refers to individuals who do not necessarily fall directly into any of these groups above but to
whom UNHCR has extended its protection and/or assistance services, based on humanitarian
or other special grounds. In 2021, this excludes host communities that are assisted by UNHCR,
which are now reported separately (see annex 11 of Global Trends report).
⁸ Venezuelans displaced abroad refers to persons of Venezuelan origin who are likely to be
in need of international protection under the criteria contained in the Cartagena Declaration,
but who have not applied for asylum in the country in which they are present. Regardless of
status, Venezuelans displaced abroad require protection against forced returns, and access
to basic services. UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration work together with
this population by leading the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform, which is aimed at
strengthening the protection dimensions and consistent responses across the region in line
with human rights standards.
UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2021 11