Forcibly displaced people in Serbia
Serbia: Forcibly displaced people was 250,997 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Forcibly displaced people in Serbia, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
In 2025, forcibly displaced people in Serbia stood at 250,997.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 378.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Serbia peaked at 316,798 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 41,867, in 2021.
That places Serbia 57th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Serbia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 316,798 | — |
| 2011 | 314,094 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 309,682 | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 171,459 | -44.6% |
| 2014 | 158,188 | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 52,434 | -66.9% |
| 2016 | 53,639 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 48,346 | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 47,163 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 42,701 | -9.5% |
| 2020 | 239,387 | +460.6% |
| 2021 | 41,867 | -82.5% |
| 2022 | 237,712 | +467.8% |
| 2023 | 239,528 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 246,270 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 250,997 | +1.9% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's 250,997 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61,510, 4.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Serbia's 250,997 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 115,499, 2.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Serbia 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 | +467.8% | 41,867 | 237,712 |
| 2020 | +460.6% | 42,701 | 239,387 |
| 2021 | -82.5% | 239,387 | 41,867 |
| 2015 | -66.9% | 158,188 | 52,434 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 151,450 | 42,701 | 316,798 | 10 |
| 2020s | 209,294 | 41,867 | 250,997 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
- 54 Cyprus 318,369 compare
- 55 Mauritania 308,868 compare
- 56 Austria 308,665 compare
- 58 Belgium 245,118 compare
- 59 Costa Rica 233,727 compare
- 60 Switzerland 225,326 compare
More social development data for Serbia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 40,863 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 29,665 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 29,665 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0062 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 Serbia?
- Forcibly displaced people in Serbia was 250,997 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 316,798 in 2010.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was 41,867 in 2021.
- How does Serbia rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Serbia ranks 57th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 378.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Serbia 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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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.