ATLAS · FIELD GUIDE
Refugees by Country of Asylum: Where the World's Refugees Are Hosted
UNHCR counts where the world's refugees are hosted. Which countries take in the most — and why does the answer surprise so many people?
This map recolours every country by how many refugees it hosts, using figures from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The colour is keyed to where a refugee now lives — where they have found refuge — not where they came from, which is shown on the companion map. The world total, around 31 million at the end of 2024, is the same as the by-origin map, because every refugee has both an origin and a host country.
What "refugee" means here
The definition is the same as on the companion map: a refugee is someone forced to leave their country who cannot safely return and is recognised under the 1951 Refugee Convention or UNHCR's mandate. The figure excludes asylum seekers (claims not yet decided) and internally displaced people (who have not crossed a border). This map counts recognised refugees by the country currently hosting them.
The hosts are often not who people expect
At the end of 2024 the largest hosts included Iran, Türkiye, Germany, Colombia and Pakistan. Many people are surprised that the biggest hosts are frequently low- and middle-income countries neighbouring a crisis, rather than distant wealthy ones. This follows directly from how displacement works: people who flee most often cross into the nearest safe country. The figures are UNHCR's, shown exactly as published, with no judgement attached to the countries they colour.
It is one half of a pair
Where refugees come from and where they are hosted are usually different places. The companion map shows the origin side. Seen together, the two maps make one plain point: the countries that produce the most refugees and the countries that host the most are largely different. The figures are UNHCR's, for the end of 2024, with the source named on the surface.
Frequently asked questions
What does this map show?
The number of refugees each country hosts, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The colour is keyed to the country a refugee now lives in — where they have found refuge — not where they originally came from, which is shown on the companion map. At the end of 2024 there were around 31 million refugees worldwide under UNHCR's count, the same world total as the by-origin map, since every refugee has both an origin and a host country.
What counts as a refugee here?
The same UNHCR definition as the companion map: someone forced to leave their country who cannot safely return and is recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention or UNHCR's mandate. The figure does not include asylum seekers, whose claims are still being decided, or internally displaced people, who have not crossed a border. This map counts recognised refugees by the country currently hosting them.
Which countries host the most refugees?
At the end of 2024 the largest hosts included Iran, Türkiye, Germany, Colombia and Pakistan. Many people find this surprising, because the largest hosts are frequently low- and middle-income countries neighbouring a crisis, rather than distant wealthy ones. This is a direct consequence of how displacement works: people who flee most often cross into the nearest safe country. The figures are reported by UNHCR and shown here exactly as published.
Why is the host map so different from the origin map?
Because where people flee from and where they end up are usually different places. A refugee leaving one country is hosted by another — very often an immediate neighbour, sometimes a country further away. Comparing the two maps shows that the countries producing the most refugees and the countries hosting the most are largely different sets of countries.
Where does the data come from?
From UNHCR's Refugee Data Finder, the UN Refugee Agency's official statistics, accessed through its public data interface. The figures are for the end of 2024, the most recent complete year, and each value carries its source. The numbers are presented as published, with no interpretation added.
SEE IT ON THE MAP
Everything in this guide is on the live Atlas map.