arts, ideas & societyanalysisOur World in Data

Refugee hosting varies enormously, with some countries taking in far more than others relative to population

the gist

A refugee is someone who has fled their country because of persecution, war or violence, and is protected under international law. The number of refugees a country hosts depends on where conflicts happen and on geography, since neighbouring countries usually take in the most people. Relative to population, however, the picture changes sharply: small countries near major crises can host refugees equal to a large share of their residents. Many of the largest hosts are low- and middle-income countries rather than wealthy ones. Counting refugees per head gives a very different ranking from counting the raw totals.

how it works

Refugees usually flee to the nearest safe country, so neighbours of conflict zones take in disproportionate numbers. Dividing the number of refugees by population gives a per-capita figure that reflects how much pressure each society feels. This is why rankings differ depending on the measure.

so what

Raw totals hide the burden. Measuring refugees per resident shows which countries carry the heaviest load, and it challenges the idea that rich countries host most of the world's refugees.

Our World in Data · CC BY 4.0

Image: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0