Forcibly displaced people in Iran
Iran: Forcibly displaced people was 1.65 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Iran, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Iran recorded 1.65 million for forcibly displaced people in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 52.7% on the previous year and up 68.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Iran peaked at 3.76 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 798,377, in 2021.
Iran ranks 23rd of 180 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.08 million | — |
| 2011 | 886,907 | -17.5% |
| 2012 | 868,257 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 857,398 | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 982,067 | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 979,477 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 979,526 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 979,519 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 979,468 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 979,468 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 800,059 | -18.3% |
| 2021 | 798,377 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 3.43 million | +329.0% |
| 2023 | 3.76 million | +9.9% |
| 2024 | 3.49 million | -7.3% |
| 2025 | 1.65 million | -52.7% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.65 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61,510, 26.8× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.65 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 184,265, 9.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +329.0% | 798,377 | 3.43 million |
| 2025 | -52.7% | 3.49 million | 1.65 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 956,722 | 857,398 | 1.08 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.32 million | 798,377 | 3.76 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More social development data for Iran
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 770,514 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0017 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 157,912 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0083 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Iran?
- Forcibly displaced people in Iran was 1.65 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 3.76 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 798,377 in 2021.
- How does Iran rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Iran ranks 23rd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.