Where They Went

Data downloads

Every number on this site is downloadable. Each row carries its source, as-of date and retrieval date.

Bulk CSV

RFC 4180, UTF-8, LF line endings, no comment lines. Empty field = not reported (distinct from 0). Snapshot dd3c6875.

FileDescriptionSize
countries.csvEntity list: ISO3, UNHCR name, display name, region, coverage flags, centroid.14 KB
unhcr-population-all-years.csvLong format: one row per country × view × year × metric (non-null only). Best for pandas/R.17.9 MB
unhcr-population-by-asylum.csvWide format by country of asylum: one row per country × year, one column per metric.792 KB
unhcr-population-by-origin.csvWide format by country of origin: one row per country × year, one column per metric.768 KB
wpp-total-population.csvUN WPP 2024 mid-year total population (per-1,000 denominator).1.4 MB

datapackage.json (Frictionless Data descriptor with table schemas) · manifest.json (file list, sha256, snapshot id)

JSON files (static, CORS-open, versioned)

There is no API server — everything is a static file under /data/v1/, regenerated daily and cached immutably. Fetch with the ?v= hash from manifest.json for instant updates, or without it for the latest.

PathContents
/data/v1/countries.json248 entities: ISO3, UNHCR name, display name, region, centroid/bbox, coverage flags
/data/v1/stock/{from}-{to}.jsonColumnar stocks for all metrics × countries × years (both views), population, global totals. Zero-runs packed as ["z",n], null-runs as ["n",n] (see src/lib/columnar.ts)
/data/v1/country/{ISO3}.jsonEverything for one country: series 1951–2025, demographics, top partners, solutions, asylum applications, IDMC, footnotes
/data/v1/flows/{year}.jsonBilateral refugee/asylum-seeker matrix (origin × asylum), 2015+
/data/v1/live/nowcast.jsonUNHCR nowcasting estimates (monthly, labelled as estimates)
/data/v1/live/idu-latest.jsonIDMC Internal Displacement Updates, last 180 days (preliminary)
/data/v1/geo/world-50m.topo.jsonNatural Earth 1:50m boundaries (simplified), ISO3 ids
/data/v1/sources.json · /data/v1/metrics.jsonProvenance, licenses, caveats; metric definitions

Sources & licenses

SourceLicenseAttribution requireddata as ofretrievedStatus
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — country list
unhcr_countries		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2026-08-192026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — population figures
unhcr_population		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — demographics
unhcr_demographics		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR (data: IDMC) — IDMC internal displacement figures via UNHCR API
unhcr_idmc		CC-BY-IGOInternal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — solutions
unhcr_solutions		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — asylum applications
unhcr_asylum_applications		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — footnotes
unhcr_footnotes		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2025-12-312026-08-19ok
UNHCR — Refugee Population Statistics Database — nowcasting (estimates)
unhcr_nowcasting		CC-BY-4.0UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database2026-06-012026-08-19ok
United Nations, DESA, Population Division — World Population Prospects 2024 — total population by sex
wpp_population		CC-BY-3.0-IGOUnited Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 20242023-07-012026-08-19ok
IDMC — Internal Displacement Updates (IDU) — last 180 days
idmc_idu		CC-BY-IGOInternal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), Internal Displacement Updates2026-08-192026-08-19ok
Natural Earth (via world-atlas) — Admin 0 – Countries, 1:50m
natural_earth		Public DomainMade with Natural Earth2022-05-012026-08-19ok

Data licence details: DATA-LICENSE.md. The site code is all rights reserved; the data remains under its original open licences.

Metric definitions

Refugees refugees · source unhcr_population
Persons recognised as refugees under the 1951 Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention, in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted complementary/subsidiary forms of protection, or those enjoying temporary protection. Includes people in a refugee-like situation. Excludes Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate.
  • Year-end stock (31 December).
  • Excludes ~6 million UNRWA-registered Palestine refugees.
Asylum-seekers asylum_seekers · source unhcr_population
Individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined (pending cases).
  • Year-end pending cases, counted in persons.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) idps · source unhcr_idmc
People displaced within their own country by conflict or violence (as compiled by IDMC and reported by UNHCR). Counted under their country (origin = asylum).
  • Source: IDMC via UNHCR. Disaster displacement is not included.
  • Identical in both views (internal displacement has no host country).
Stateless persons stateless · source unhcr_population
Persons not considered as nationals by any State under the operation of its law, including persons of undetermined nationality.
  • Reported by country of residence only; many countries do not report.
Others of concern ooc · source unhcr_population
Individuals who do not necessarily fall directly into any of the other groups but to whom UNHCR has extended its protection and/or assistance services.
Returned refugees returned_refugees · source unhcr_population
Former refugees who returned to their country of origin during the calendar year, spontaneously or in an organised fashion.
  • Flow during the year, not a stock.
Returned IDPs returned_idps · source unhcr_population
Former IDPs who returned to their area of origin during the calendar year.
  • Flow during the year, not a stock.
Other people in need of international protection oip · source unhcr_population
People outside their country of origin who are likely in need of international protection but whose status has not been determined (used notably for Venezuelans abroad since 2018).
  • Reported since 2018; mostly Venezuelans displaced abroad.
Host community hst · source unhcr_population
Members of host communities benefiting from UNHCR programmes (reported for a small number of operations).
  • Not a displaced population; excluded from totals.
Total people of concern total_poc · source unhcr_population
Sum of refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, others of concern and other people in need of international protection (excludes host community and returnees).
  • Derived on the client from the component metrics; a null component is treated as 0 only when at least one component is reported.

Methodology →