Forcibly displaced people in Canada

Canada: Forcibly displaced people was 730,497 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
730,497
Change on year
up 30.1%
World rank
40th
of 180 countries
All-time high
730,497
in 2025
All-time low
121,268
in 2016
Years of data
16
2010–2025

Forcibly displaced people in Canada, 2010–2025

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2010201720252010: 216.5k2011: 206.7k2012: 196.4k2013: 182.5k2014: 165.9k2015: 155.5k2016: 121.3k2017: 156.6k2018: 192.9k2019: 198.8k2020: 194.6k2021: 193.3k2022: 253.7k2023: 367.4k2024: 561.6k2025: 730.5k

Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Analysis

Canada recorded 730,497 for forcibly displaced people in 2025. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of up 30.1% on the previous year and up 369.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Canada peaked at 730,497 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 121,268, in 2016.

That places Canada 40th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 179,307 121,268 216,542 10
2020s 383,496 193,269 730,497 6

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 37 Mexico 779,694 compare
  2. 38 Spain 759,794 compare
  3. 39 Libya 743,477 compare
  4. 41 United Kingdom 725,819 compare
  5. 42 Mali 696,037 compare
  6. 43 Chile 674,696 compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More social development data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is forcibly displaced people in Canada?
Forcibly displaced people in Canada was 730,497 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 730,497 in 2025.
What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 121,268 in 2016.
How does Canada rank for forcibly displaced people?
Canada ranks 40th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 369.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Forcibly displaced people
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 3,518 data points, 2010–2025
Last refreshed

Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.