Estimated population of selected refugee camps worldwide 2023-2025
Worldwide, Kutupalong Expansion Site in Bangladesh was the largest refugee camp, hosting nearly one million refugees. Most of its refugee population are Rohingya who have fled from neighboring Myanmar after years of persecution and a genocide that started in 2016.
Violent conflicts in East Africa
Some of the largest refugee camps in the world are located in East Africa. This is no surprise as violent conflicts in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have forced millions to flee their countries. Many refugees do not end up in refugee camps, but are forced to reside on the outskirts of towns, while others take the dangerous route towards Europe or North America. Africa is also the continent in the world with the second highest number of registered refugees behind Europe, including Turkey.
Increasing number of refugees
After being relatively stable through the 2000s, the number of refugees in the world have increased since 2012. This is strongly connected to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and as a result, the highest number of refugees in the world are from Syria. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine war since February 2022, Taliban retaking power in Afghanistan in 2021, and the civil war in Sudan have increased the global refugee count.