UN reports 118 million forcibly displaced people worldwide as numbers decline for first time in over a decade

The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide fell to 118 million in 2024, marking the first decline in over a decade according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. More than 90 percent of refugee returns were recorded in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria, indicating these countries saw significant numbers of displaced people returning home. However, UNHCR expressed concerns about shrinking opportunities for refugee resettlement, estimating that 2.9 million refugees need relocation to third countries but face limited options as host nations restrict their resettlement programs.