Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2021

Continuing a worrying decade-long rising trend, the number of people forced to flee due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order climbed to 89.3 million by the end of 2021. This is more than double the 42.7 million people who remained forcibly displaced at the end of 2012 and represents a sharp 8 per cent increase of almost 7 million people in the span of just 12 months. As a result, above one per cent of the world’s population – or 1 in 88 people – were forcibly displaced at the end of 2021. This compares with 1 in 167 at the end of 2012. During 2021, some 1.7 million people crossed international borders seeking protection and 14.4 million new displacements within their countries were reported. This is a dramatic increase from the combined 11.2 million a year earlier. While internal displacement in 2021 was markedly higher than in recent years, the number of people crossing international borders seeking protection remained muted compared to pre-pandemic levels as healthrelated border and travel restrictions remained in effect in many locations. Access to asylum did improve during the year, and most countries that remained closed to people seeking international protection at the end of 2021 had at least introduced some adaptive elements, albeit to varying degrees, rather than keep their asylum systems completely closed. The year was perhaps most notable for the sheer number of existing conflicts that escalated and new conflicts that flared up (see map 1). According to the World Bank, 23 countries, hosting a combined population of 850 million people, faced high- or medium-intensity conflicts in 2021. The number of conflict-affected countries has doubled during the last decade, with women and children disproportionately exposed to deep-rooted discrimination and extreme vulnerability.