Forcibly displaced people in Syria
Syria: Forcibly displaced people was 6.34 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Forcibly displaced people in Syria, 2010–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Syria recorded 6.34 million for forcibly displaced people in 2025.
That represents a change of down 20.9% on the previous year and down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Syria peaked at 8.28 million in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.84 million, in 2011.
That places Syria 3rd out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Forcibly displaced people in Syria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.92 million | — |
| 2011 | 1.84 million | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 3.98 million | +115.7% |
| 2013 | 7.17 million | +80.2% |
| 2014 | 8.28 million | +15.5% |
| 2015 | 7.16 million | -13.5% |
| 2016 | 6.90 million | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 7.37 million | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 6.72 million | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 7.09 million | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 7.16 million | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 7.26 million | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 7.46 million | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 7.85 million | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 8.01 million | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 6.34 million | -20.9% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 6.34 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 762,014, 8.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Syria's 6.34 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 184,265, 34.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forcibly displaced people in Syria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +115.7% | 1.84 million | 3.98 million |
| 2013 | +80.2% | 3.98 million | 7.17 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.84 million | 1.84 million | 8.28 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.35 million | 6.34 million | 8.01 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 1 Colombia 10.04 million compare
- 2 Sudan 9.98 million compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 4.88 million compare
- 5 Yemen 4.86 million compare
- 6 Afghanistan 4.38 million compare
More social development data for Syria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 9,885 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (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 0.1899 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4.87 million (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forcibly displaced people in Syria?
- Forcibly displaced people in Syria was 6.34 million in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.28 million in 2014.
- What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.84 million in 2011.
- How does Syria rank for forcibly displaced people?
- Syria ranks 3rd out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
- Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria 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.