Forcibly displaced people in Ireland
Ireland: Forcibly displaced people was 171,597 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Ireland, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
The most recent figure for forcibly displaced people in Ireland is 171,597, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.7% on the previous year and up 1,447.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Ireland peaked at 171,597 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9,941, in 2016.
Ireland ranks 66th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forcibly displaced people in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 14,187 | — |
| 2011 | 13,614 | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 11,732 | -13.8% |
| 2013 | 11,455 | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 10,408 | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 11,090 | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 9,941 | -10.4% |
| 2017 | 12,385 | +24.6% |
| 2018 | 13,171 | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 15,648 | +18.8% |
| 2020 | 16,428 | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 16,475 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 96,364 | +484.9% |
| 2023 | 136,152 | +41.3% |
| 2024 | 156,441 | +14.9% |
| 2025 | 171,597 | +9.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 171,597 is above the median for high income countries, which is 51,316, 3.3× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 171,597 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 115,499, 1.5× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Ireland 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 | +484.9% | 16,475 | 96,364 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12,363 | 9,941 | 15,648 | 10 |
| 2020s | 98,910 | 16,428 | 171,597 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More social development data for Ireland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 137,869 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 69 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 69 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0251 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 Ireland?
- Forcibly displaced people in Ireland was 171,597 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 171,597 in 2025.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,941 in 2016.
- How does Ireland rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Ireland ranks 66th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,447.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
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.