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Number of internally displaced people tops 80 million for first time
- 83.4 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of 2024, more than twice as many as only six years ago (2018).
- 90 per cent had fled conflict and violence. In Sudan, conflict led to 11.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs), the most ever for one country. Nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip remained displaced at the end of the year.
- Disasters triggered nearly twice as many movements in 2024 as the annual average over the past decade. The 11 million disaster displacements in the United States were the most ever recorded for a single country.
GENEVA, Switzerland – The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) reached 83.4 million at the end of 2024, the highest figure ever recorded, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 published today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). This is equivalent to the population of Germany, and more than double the number from just six years ago.
“Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director. “These latest numbers prove that internal displacement is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a clear development and political challenge that requires far more attention than it currently receives.”
Nearly 90 per cent of IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence, an increase of 80 per cent in six years. Ten countries had over 3 million IDPs from conflict and violence at the end of 2024, double the number from four years ago. Sudan alone hosted a record-breaking 11.6 million IDPs, the most ever recorded in a single country.
An additional 9.8 million people were living in internal displacement at the end of the year after being forced to flee by disasters, a 29 per cent increase over the previous year and more than double the number from just five years ago. Afghanistan (1.3 million) and Chad (1.2 million) together accounted for nearly a quarter of the total.
“Internal displacement rarely makes the headlines, but for those living it, the suffering can last for years. This year’s figures must act as a wake-up call for global solidarity. For how much longer will the number of people affected by internal displacement be allowed to grow and grow, as a result of a lack of ownership and leadership?” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “Every time humanitarian funding gets cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, safety and hope. Over the past year, I’ve met with internally displaced families in DR Congo, in Palestine, and in Sudan, and listened to them speak about the devastating impact of displacement on their lives and their hopes for the future. The lack of progress is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity. Now is the time for governments to show political will and financial investments for lasting solutions to displacement.”
In many situations, people had to flee multiple times throughout the year as areas of conflict shifted, increasing their vulnerabilities and impeding their efforts to rebuild their lives. Together, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine and Sudan reported 12.3 million internal displacements, or forced movements of people, in 2024, nearly 60 per cent of the global total for conflict displacements.
Disasters triggered 45.8 million internal displacements in 2024, the highest annual figure since IDMC began monitoring disaster displacements in 2008 and more than double the annual average of the past decade. The United States (US) alone accounted for nearly a quarter of global disaster displacement and was one of 29 countries and territories to record their highest figures on record.
Weather-related events, many intensified by climate change, triggered 99.5 per cent of disaster displacements during the year. Cyclones, such as hurricanes Helene and Milton that struck the US, and typhoon Yagi that struck numerous countries in East Asia, triggered 54 per cent of movements linked to disasters. Floods triggered another 42 per cent, with major events on every continent, from Chad to Brazil, Afghanistan to the Philippines and across Europe.
Many disaster displacements were pre-emptive evacuations that saved lives in the US, the Philippines, Bangladesh and elsewhere, showing that displacement can be a positive coping mechanism in disaster-prone countries. Of the 163 countries and territories reporting disaster displacements last year, 53 reported pre-emptive evacuations, but incomplete data means the true number is likely higher. Available evidence shows that without adequate support even pre-emptively evacuated people can remain displaced for prolonged periods.
The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement has tripled since 2009. More than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict and violence as of the end of 2024 were living in countries with high or very high vulnerability to climate change. These overlapping crises erode people’s ability to recover and stretch government resources.
“The cost of inaction is rising, and displaced people are paying the price,” said Bilak. “The data is clear, it’s now time to use it to prevent displacement, support recovery, and build resilience. Resolving displacement requires both immediate efforts to help people who have lost everything and investments to address underlying vulnerabilities, so people don't become displaced in the first place.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
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About the Global Report on Internal Displacement
IDMC’s Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) is the authoritative source for data and analysis on the state of internal displacement for the previous year. Each year, IDMC presents the validated estimates of internal displacements by conflict and disasters, and the total cumulative numbers of IDPs worldwide. The GRID also provides an overview of the year’s most significant internal displacement situations, highlighting potential measures to address the issue across the humanitarian, development, disaster risk reduction and climate change agendas. Read the full report.
How to read our data
Internal displacement refers to the forced movement of people within the country they live in.
The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) is a snapshot of the total number of people living in internal displacement at a specific point in time in a specific location. For our Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) and the Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD), we make these snapshots as of the end of each year.
The number of internal displacements counts each new forced movement of a person within the borders of the country of their habitual residence recorded during the year. The same person or people can be displaced several times over a given period of time. We count each time a person is forced to move as an internal displacement. We also refer to these as movements.
Learn more in our quick guide on how to read our data.
About IDMC
IDMC is the world's leading source of data and analysis on internal displacement. We provide high-quality data, analysis and expertise on internal displacement to inform policy and operational decisions that can improve the lives of internally displaced people (IDPs) worldwide and reduce the risk of future displacement. IDMC was established in 1998 and is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
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