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There Are the Countries Hosting the World's 25 Million Refugees

Elzy Kolb

Published: June 21, 2019 10:10 am

Last Updated: January 6, 2020 3:33 am

As of the end of 2017 there was a “total population of concern” of 71.4 million people, comprising refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and stateless persons, according to the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council), the UN’s refugee agency.

The UNHRC estimated that 20 people were driven from their homes each minute in 2016, and that children account for half the total refugee numbers. The agency notes that roughly 25 million refugees travel a total of 2 billion kilometers (1.2 billion miles) annually to get to safety.

But many people fleeing or forced from their homes don’t venture too far, simply crossing borders and hoping for the best. Worldwide, developing nations host most refugees, straining already limited resources. People fleeing conflict in South Sudan in 2017 headed for neighboring countries, with more than a million going to Uganda, ranked among the poorest countries on Earth in 2018, and ranking No. 3 on the UN’s list of countries taking in the most refugees.

Almost a half million more South Sudanese entered Ethiopia, 18th on the poorest country ranking, and also among the top 10 countries in refugee population for 2017. The West African nation is also a destination for refugees from Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia.

Pakistan, with a per capita GDP of less than $1,300, took in about 1.4 million refugees from Afghanistan, giving it the second highest influx in the world for several years in a row. In 2018, South Sudan ranked in last place of the UN’s list of the 156 happiest nations, scoring low marks for per capita GDP, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices and more. Nevertheless, in 2017 South Sudan took in more than a quarter of a million people fleeing Sudan, making it No. 14 on the list of countries hosting refugees.

Bangladesh, Sudan, Chad, Yemen, Congo and other nations also receive population surges from troubled neighboring lands.

Among the 25 wealthiest countries on Earth, Germany (17th richest country in the world) takes in the most refugees. It appears numerous times on the UN’s list of countries of asylum, making its first appearance in ninth place for taking in almost a half million Syrians in 2017. Germany has also opened its doors to people fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea, and elsewhere.

The United States, the 11th richest country and the 18th happiest, first appears on the UN’s list in the 44th slot, for receiving almost 75,000 Chinese refugees. Immigration continues to be among the most divisive issues in the U.S., and among the biggest news stories of the year.