Which Country Produces The Most Refugees?

Syrian expatriates reigister to enter the Vinojug refugee camp in the Macedonian municipality of Gevgelija. Violence in Syria has displaced millions of its people.

Most refugees around the world today come from Syria, due to the country’s ongoing conflicts. However, there are many other countries as well from where their own citizens flee and seek refuge in other countries. The number of people who seek refuge in different countries across the world has steadily been on the rise over the past few years. These people are typically displaced due to war, civil conflict, persecution, and violations of their basic human rights. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has recently presented statistics pertaining to the origins of the world’s refugees, and they serve as a definitive portrayal to the global trends in this phenomenon. These global numbers are still increasing, with most refugees currently coming from war-torn Syria. Below is a look into the origins of the world’s refugees.

Countries from which the Most Refugees Originate

The highest numbers of refugees in the world come from the violence-ravaged Syria. Today, there are 3,865,720 Syrian refugees living in other countries globally. If anything, the civil war in Syria can be considered the worst humanitarian crisis of recent history. Because of it, nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of over 11 million people has either been killed or otherwise forced to flee their homes in order to protect their lives. The situation has only worsened in the country over time, with fights becoming more and more intensified across all regions of the nation. As a result, the economy of the country has collapsed, thereby adding to the reasons why its citizens wish to leave.

The second country on this list is Afghanistan, with 2,593,368 of its citizens seeking refuge in other countries across the world. Prior to the upsurge of violence in Iraq and Syria, Afghanistan was the world’s top producer of refugees for 32 years. Violence is the number one reason why so many Afghanis have chosen to flee from their native country. The highest numbers of Afghan refugees are to be found in Pakistan and Iran, with many others in Europe. The country is plagued by war, lawlessness, and poverty, and access to healthcare is also very limited.

Next in line is Somalia, with there being 1,106,068 Somali refugees in different countries. The reasons why Somalis flee from their country are somewhat varied. To begin with, the country has had a history of famines, droughts, and flooding to the point that a lot of its people have migrated from the country out of sheer desperation. Apart from that, there are sporadic civil conflicts that have contributed to the displacement of large numbers of Somalis.

Sudan is next in line, and there are nearly 659,395 Sudanese refugees located around the world. The country has only gone from bad to worse over the years, due to man-made humanitarian crises. Due to the political conflicts within the country, there is mass-spread displacement, dire food shortages, and raging violence, all of which are factors that have contributed to the rising number of Sudanese refugees.

Other Countries with High Numbers of Refugees Abroad

There are other countries nearing the top of this list, including South Sudan, Congo, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Eritrea, and Pakistan. The numbers of refugees around the world from these countries are 0.616 million, 0.411 million, 0.370 million, 0.331 million, and 0.316 million, respectively.

The Origins Of The World's Refugees

RankCountryNumber of Refugees
5South Sudan616,142
6Congo, Dem. Rep.516,562
7Central African Republic410,787
16Sri Lanka121,996
21Russian Federation72,777
23Cote d'Ivoire71,959

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