The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide reached a record high of 83.4 million by the end of 2024, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The staggering rise is attributed to a sharp increase in both violent conflicts and climate-related disasters.
According to the 2025 Global Report on Internal Displacement released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), conflict and violence accounted for the displacement of 73.5 million people, reflecting a dramatic 80% rise over the past six years.
Sudan bore the brunt, with 11.6 million people forced from their homes, making it the country with the largest internally displaced population.
In the Gaza Strip, almost the entire population faced displacement by the close of 2024, underscoring the humanitarian toll.
Natural disasters contributed to the crisis on an extraordinary scale. A total of 45.8 million disaster-related displacements were recorded in 2024, nearly doubling the yearly average seen in the past decade. While many of the displaced were able to return, 9.8 million people remained uprooted due to disasters by year’s end.
“These figures are a clear warning. Without bold and coordinated action, the number of people displaced within their own countries will continue to grow rapidly,” said Amy Pope, Director General of IOM.
Reaffirming the urgency, IOM reiterated that the global total of displaced persons has reached its highest level ever, driven largely by escalating conflicts and worsening environmental conditions.
Emerging and ongoing crises in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Palestine displaced millions more, compounding already dire situations in Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria, and Yemen, where displacement remains prolonged.
The jump in disaster-triggered displacement was especially alarming. From 26.8 million in 2023, the number leapt to 45.8 million in 2024.
As the report states, “The number of disaster displacements in 2024 was nearly double the annual average of the past decade.”
Roughly 30 countries and territories witnessed significant increases in climate-related displacements, with cyclones responsible for more than half. The United States alone accounted for about one-fourth of all disaster-related displacement worldwide.
With climate change continuing to accelerate the frequency and severity of weather events, the trend shows no signs of abating.
“This report is a call for preventive action—to use data and other tools to anticipate displacement before it happens, and for the humanitarian and development sectors to work together with governments to develop longer-term solutions to prevent displacement,” said Amy Pope.
While the number of displacements due to conflict slightly declined compared to 2023, over 20 million new displacements occurred due to violence, with Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo responsible for nearly half.
Alexandra Bilak, Director of IDMC, described the broader implications of the findings, stating, “These latest numbers prove that internal displacement is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a clear development and political challenge that requires far more attention than it currently receives.”
“The cost of inaction is rising, and displaced people are paying the price,” she added.
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