June 20th is World Refugee Day. To highlight the challenges refugees face worldwide, especially issues that affect children, we have compiled a fact sheet to inform people on this worldwide day of recognition.

• There are 123.2 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Of those, 36.8 million are classified as refugees. (UNHCR)
• 49 million children are among those forcibly displaced (UNHCR)
• The highest number of refugees come from Venezuela (6.2m), Syria (6.0m), and Afghanistan (5.8m). These 3 countries account for around half of the world’s refugees. (UNHCR)
• The countries that host the most refugees are Iran (3.5m), Türkiye (3.3m), Colombia (2.8m), Germany (2.7m), and Uganda (1.8m). Those 5 countries account for 37% of hosted refugees. 73% of refugees are hosted in low/middle income countries. Least developed countries hold around 23% of the total. (UNHCR)
• Women and girls who are forced to leave their homes are at a higher risk for gender-based violence. Women and girls account for 95% of verified cases. Humanitarian estimates state that 90% of women moving along the Mediterranean are raped. (UNHCR)
• In 2024, 199.4k people attempted to reach Europe by sea, with 5,500 unaccompanied minors arriving. (UNHCR)
• 2,568 migrants have gone missing or died in 2025. The majority of migrants died in the Mediterranean due to dangerous sea crossings and environmental conditions. (Missing Migrants Project)
• 19% of Syrian refugee boys ages 12-14 are employed and 48% of boys aged 15-17 are employed. (Joint Data Center)
• As of April 2025, 25,423 unaccompanied children were encountered at the United States Border, many of them having been displaced. (S. Customs and Border Protection)
• 49% of refugee children remain out of school. This means that 7.2 million refugee children are missing out on an education. (UNHCR)

Facts compiled or updated by CLC’s Alyssa Bredefeld, a student at the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, University of Connecticut, 6/17/2025.