The current refugee crisis is one that’s been growing for quite some time, however, specific information regarding it is often lacking or misunderstood. In our most recent report, we did an in-depth investigation of what exactly is going on relating to the refugee issue, and the regions of the world most affected by this crisis between the years of 2010-2016 based on World Bank Open Data statistics.

1. Where Are People Fleeing from,
and Where Are They Going?
Insights into Refugee Migration:

2. 1
The current refugee crisis is one that’s been growing for quite some time, however specific information
regarding it is often lacking or misunderstood.
In our most recent report we did an in-depth investigation of what exactly is going on relating to the refugee issue, and the regions of the world
most affected by this crisis between the years of 2010-2016 based on World Bank Open Data statistics. Though refugees come from many
countries and end up in many countries, the two main crisis points are related to Syria and Africa (with an emphasis on Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia).
The following information will highlight this.
The second thing to know is that when dealing with large groups of people, and especially those moving locations under duress, the numbers don’t always
match up precisely as many people move under the radar and are not known to their place of asylum. The numbers we used in this report are according to
the World Bank’s count of people entering and exiting different countries under refugee/asylum status, as well as those displaced within their own country.
For our investigation we broke up the world into the following regions: Middle East, East Asia & Pacific, South Asia, Europe (including Turkey), Latin America
& Caribbean, North America, and Africa.
First off, for clarification purposes, refugees are defined as people who flee their
home countries due to persecution, war, or natural disasters.
Here is our interactive dashboard that shows the visualization of the data we present in this report.
Drill down on any widget to discover more.

3. 2
This first graph shows an overview of the basic numbers. In 2010 about 10.2 million people were actively fleeing (.15% of the world’s population), while the number
increased to 16.9 million actively fleeing in 2016 (.23%). In 2010, 15.5 million were seeking asylum (.22%), while that number increased in 2016 to 22.5 million (.3%).
Overall, that’s an increase of over 6.6 million fleeing, and an increase of 7 million seeking asylum. That’s a 165% increase in the number of refugees fleeing between 2010-2016,
and a 145% increase for those seeking asylum in the same time period. If those numbers don't sound bad, consider that 16.9 million people (the total number fleeing in 2016)
is the same number as the population of 3.5 Irelands. Taking it up a step, if the number 22.5 million (total number seeking asylum in 2016) sounds small, consider that this
number is a mere 2 million less than the entire population of Australia. Now imagine the entire population of Australia being suddenly homeless and in need of a new place to
settle. It’s quite a lot of people.
Global Growth in Refugees Fleeing Their Countries of Origin
and Refugees Seeking Asylum
Growth in Refugee Numbers 2010-2016
These are basic numbers though, and we need further investigation into where
these refugees are coming from, and where are they seeking asylum.
Number of Refugees Fleeing
their Countries of Origin
10.2
16.9
2010 2016
Cumulative number
Refugees Seeking Asylum
15.5
22.5
2010 2016
165%
145%
25M
20M
15M
10M
5M
0

4. 3
First, let’s look at where people are leaving from and how those numbers have changed over the years.
From this chart, you can see that the largest areas of unrest leading to the largest numbers of people fleeing are in the Middle East (which includes Syria), and Africa (which includes Sudan, South
Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo). Africa makes up 36% of the global refugees fleeing in 2016 with over 6 million fleeing in that year. The Middle East (including Syria) is responsible for
another 36% of fleeing refugees in 2016 contributing just over 6 million as well. The third largest group for fleeing refugees in 2016 was South Asia (including Afghanistan and Myanmar) which saw
3.3 million flee that year making up 19% of the global number. Whereas Africa and the Middle East have seen steady rising in fleeing refugees between 2010 and 2016, going up approximately 3.5
million and 4 million respectively, South Asia has seen a slight decrease from its 2010 value (about a half million). Central Asia has seen very small numbers of refugees fleeing with a decrease overall
from its 2010 value. Europe has decreased nearly 200,000. East Asia & Pacific has held relatively steady over the years staying between 5-600,000, and Latin America & Caribbean has decreased
approximately 800,000. North America has very small numbers although they did double between 2010 and 2016.
Geographical Regions Refugees Are Fleeing from 2010-2016
10,236,166 10,112,106 10,216,026
11,442,299
14,126,702
15,824,113
16,867,915
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2,829,110
1,887,986
3,794,429
3,392,915
1,638,392
3,375,047
3,558,938
1,670,579
3,288,220
3,724,692
3,051,801
3,297,670
4,505,614
4,448,547
3,615,059
5,263,957
5,345,577
3,613,826
6,044,411
6,060,077
3,281,768
South Asia
North America
Middle East
Latin America & Caribbean
Europe (Inc. Turkey)
East Asia & Pacific
Central Asia
Africa

5. 15,518,360 15,204,538 15,419,886
16,731,341
19,537,074
21,379,902
22,525,984
25,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2,407,884
7,756,296
1,601,605
2,923,355
1,553,117
7,192,772
3,067,533
1,793,553
7,088,210
3,376,254
1,768,053
8,073,302
4,125,563
3,094,221
8,659,783
4,807,457
4,368,164
8,582,086
5,526,268
5,181,525
8,605,077
4
The next question is, where do they go?
This graph shows where people are seeking asylum. Leading the way in acceptance of refugees as of 2016 is the Middle East which has taken in the most with 8.6 million (38% of the global number
of refugees seeking asylum), only slightly higher than its 2010 value of 7.8 million. Africa and Europe are second and third, with Africa being an asylum for 5.5 million (25%), and Europe accepting 5.2
million (23%) as of 2016. In both cases, the number of refugees seeking asylum in these regions has greatly grown from the 2010 number, going up over 3 million for each. South Asia has the fourth
largest number taking in 2.1 million people seeking asylum in 2016 (9%), which is nearly a half million less than it did in 2010. East Asia & Pacific has once again stayed relatively consistent over the years
staying between 3-400,000 (with only a minor increase), and Latin America & Caribbean which has seen close to a half million decrease from around 330,000 to 284,000. North America had fewer
refugees seeking asylum in 2016 than 2010, with the number going down to 408,000 from 473,000, and Central Asia has shown negligible numbers when it comes to refugee absorption.
Geographical Regions Where Refugees Are Seeking Asylum 2010-2016
South Asia
North America
Middle East
Latin America & Caribbean
Europe (Inc. Turkey)
East Asia & Pacific
Africa

6. 5
Refugee Population by Territory of Origin vs Territory of Asylum 2016
Each region can also be looked at regarding how many people are going out, and how many are coming in. The chart above breaks down the different regions to show how many are leaving as
refugees, and how many are coming in or staying in the region seeking asylum. According to the breakdown of information, the Middle East and Africa have the greatest numbers of refugees fleeing
with the Middle East also having the highest rate of those seeking asylum. Europe, on the other hand, has a small number of refugees leaving in comparison, but a large number seeking asylum.
Origin Region
Asylum Region
10,000,000
7,500,000
5,000,000
2,500,000
Africa
6,044,411
5,526,268
Central Asia East Asia & Pacific Europe
(Inc. Turkey)
Latin America
& Caribbean
Middle East North America South Asia
37,076 24,915
549,984
375,471 359,792 283,595
60,945
408,419
3,281,768
2,118,698
6,060,077
8,605,077
471,846
5,181,525

7. The most volatile areas for refugees both fleeing and seeking asylum are the Middle East and Africa. The charts below exemplify this point:
Middle East Refugee Population
Trend 2010-2016
Africa Refugee Population
Trend 2010-2016
6
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
10,000,000
9,000,000
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
7,756,296
1,887,986
7,192,772
1,638,392
7,088,210
1,670,579
3,051,801
8,073,302
8,659,783
4,448,547
8,582,086
5,345,577
6,060,077
8,605,077
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2,829,110
2,407,884
3,392,915
2,923,355
3,558,938
3,067,533
43,376,254
3,724,692
4,505,614
4,125,563
5,263,957
4,807,457
5,526,268
6,044,411

8. 7
The Middle East
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Middle Eastern Countries in 2016
Iran, Islamic Rep.
Yemen, Rep.
Lebanon
Jordan
Kuwait
Others
Total Middle East
94,042
18,396
4,709
1,889
1,008
1,953
6,062,093
Now let’s make things more specific. When speaking of the Middle East, the pie chart
below shows the countries with the most fleeing refugees. Syria is the predominant
contributor with over 5.5 million refugees fleeing in 2016 making up 91% for that region.
Second is Iraq with 315,000 making up 5%. Syria, as a single country, produces the most
refugees of any country in any region.
The next pie chart shows the main countries of asylum in the Middle East with Jordan leading
the way taking in close to 2.9 million (33% for that region), followed by the West Bank & Gaza
with just over 2 million (25%), and Lebanon coming in third with close to 1.5 million (17%). Iraq
is fourth with just under 1 million seeking asylum in 2016 making up 11%:
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum in
Middle Eastern Countries in 2016
Iran, Islamic Rep.
Syrian Arab Republic
Yemen, Rep.
Iraq
Others
Total Middle East
979,435
562,811
269,763
261,882
35,625
8,605,077
Syrian Arab Republic
5,524,333
Jordan
2,260,669
West Bank and Gaza
2,158,274
Lebanon
1,476,618
Iraq
315,998
West Bank and Gaza
97,749

9. 8
Number of Refugees fleeing
African Countries in 2016
Africa
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
The other major area for both fleeing refugees and those seeking asylum is Africa. When it
comes to Africa, Sudan and South Sudan are the focal point producing over 2 million fleeing
refugees, which make up 35% for this region. Somalia is next largest with 17% of the region
totaling over 1 million. The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic
follow with a combined total of over 1 million (17% as well).
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
in African Countries in 2016
Regarding who is seeking asylum in this region, the following graph shows Uganda being the
main destination with close to 1 million (17% of that region), followed by Ethiopia with close to
800,000 (14%). It should be noted that at least 12 countries in this region have taken in over
100,000 refugees, with the majority taking in several hundred thousand each.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic
Eritrea
Burundi
Rwanda
Nigeria
Mali
Ethiopia
Others
Total Africa
537,429
490,869
459,390
408,036
286,033
229,261
156,390
83,894
295,593
6,046,427
Kenya
Sudan
Chad
Cameroon
Tanzania
South Sudan
Egypt, Arab Rep.
Niger
Rwanda
Algeria
South Africa
Mauritania
Burundi
Others
Total
451,077
421,454
391,235
375,393
281,498
262,548
213,500
166,084
156,055
94,220
90,958
74,117
57,462
306,289
5,526,268
South Sudan
1,436,667
Uganda
940,815
Ethiopia
791,616
Democratic Republic
of the Congo
451,947
Somalia
1,012,277
Sudan
650,588

10. Europe (Including Turkey)
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
9
The following region, Europe, which in our breakdown includes Turkey as well, shows a different story. Whereas refugees fleeing has decreased down to approximately 472,000
in 2016 from closer to 649,000 in 2010, the number seeking asylum as of 2016 has jumped considerably from 1.6 million in 2010 to over 5.1 million in 2016.
Europe Refugee Population Trend 2010-2016
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
649,154
1,601,605
609,489
1,553,117
594,611
1,793,553
1,768,053
301,432
509,912
3,094,221
568,795
4,368,164
5,181,525
471,846
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum

11. 10
Number of Refugees Fleeing
European Countries in 2016
When looking at the fleeing refugee population, the Ukraine is the main contributor with
51% of refugees in that region coming from this country, totaling just below 240,000 as
of 2016. This is followed by Russia which contributed 62,000 making up 13%.
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
in European Countries in 2016
However, when it comes to the number of refugees seeking asylum in this region, the numbers
are quite a bit higher with Turkey doing most of the heavy lifting, taking in 2.9 million refugees
as of 2016 (56% of that region), followed by Germany at just under 670,000 (13%). France,
Sweden, and the UK together took in approximately 650,000 refugees as of 2016, making up
12% of those seeking asylum for the European region. When Turkey is NOT considered in this
area, it brings the total asylum count for Europe down considerably.
Serbia
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Albania
Belarus
Others
Total
36,898
26,211
18,179
11,050
3,824
16,014
471,846
Sweden
Russian Federation
Italy
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Austria
Switzerland
Norway
Greece
Belgium
Serbia
Denmark
Finland
Bulgaria
Spain
Poland
Cyprus
Malta
Others
Total
230,103
228,936
147,302
118,913
101,702
93,182
82,608
59,452
46,381
42,128
36,508
33,436
18,302
17,774
12,943
11,703
8,433
7,901
40,524
5,181,525
Ukraine
239,048
Russian Federation
62,737
Turkey
57,885
Turkey
2,869,379
Germany
669,408
France
304,507

12. South Asia
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
11
The third largest region for fleeing refugees is South Asia, which is detailed in the following graph. As compared to the previous regions, there has been a fall in both fleeing refugees
and those seeking asylum between 2010 and 2016. Fleeing refugees have fallen from above 3.7 million to about 3.3 million, and those seeking asylum have dropped from 2.6 million
to about 2.1 million.
South Asia Population Trend 2010-2016
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
3,794,429
2,590,299
3,375,047
2,370,344
3,288,220
2,303,933 2,336,679
3,297,670 3,615,059
2,511,313
3,613,826
2,493,966
2,118,698
3,281,768
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum

13. 12
Number of Refugees Fleeing
South Asian Countries in 2016
The countries in South Asia with the largest amount of fleeing refugees are detailed
below with Afghanistan responsible for the majority with about 2.5 million (76% of
that region) followed by Myanmar, which saw almost a half million flee in 2016 (15%).
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
in South Asian Countries in 2016
Regarding those seeking asylum in South Asia, the majority landed in Pakistan making up
64% of that region with over 1.3 million, followed by Bangladesh which has taken in over
a quarter million (13%) as of 2016.
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Cambodia
Bhutan
Nepal
Others
Total
105,376
13,810
13,046
12,408
11,732
8,350
7,924
3,281,768
Thailand
Malaysia
Afghanistan
Nepal
Indonesia
Others
Total
106,426
92,209
59,770
25,244
7,819
658
2,118,698
Afghanistan
2,501,410
Myanmar
490,265
Sri Lanka
117,447
Pakistan
1,352,551
India
197,823
Bangladesh
276,198

14. 13
East Asia & Pacific
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
Other regions have remained more consistent over the six-year period. East Asia & Pacific has seen only mild increases in fleeing refugees, hovering just over a half million, while also
staying consistent with those seeking asylum remaining between about 340,000-375,000. This can be seen below.
East Asia and Pacific Population Trend 2010-2016
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
538,198
340,082
542,873
340,092
545,030
345,362 349,791
523,104 537,948
352,030
539,226
353,688 375,471
549,984
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum

15. 14
Number of Refugees Fleeing East Asian
& Pacific Countries in 2016
The main countries of this region from which refugees fled in 2016 were Vietnam,
which saw about 330,000 leave (60% of that region), and China from which just
over 200,000 fled (38%).
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
in East Asian & Pacific Countries in 2016
The countries from this region that received the most refugees seeking asylum as of 2016
were China which took in about 317,000 for asylum (85% for that region), followed by Australia
with just 42,000 (11%).
Mongolia
Korea, Dem. People’s Rep.
Fiji
Other
Total
2,267
1,409
791
1,229
549,984
Japan
Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
New Zealand
Others
Total
2,512
1,773
1,348
963
375,471
Vietnam
329,331
China
207,733
Lao PDR
7,224
China
317,239
Papua New Guinea
9,529
Australia
42,107

16. 15
Latin America & Caribbean
Which Countries Are Being Exited by Refugees, and Where Are Refugees Seeking Asylum?
Latin America & Caribbean has seen small decreases with a half million drop in fleeing refugees between 2010 and 2016 (from 443,000 to 360,000), and those seeking asylum also
dropping mildly to land at just over 283,000 from 331,000. This can be seen below:
Latin America & Caribbean Refugee Population Trend 2010-2016
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
442,536
330,872
452,034
333,639
455,934
335,931
458,035
335,971
419,890
304,541
396,110
304,191
359,792
283,595
Number of Refugees Fleeing
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum

17. 16
Number of Refugees Fleeing Latin American
& Caribbean Countries in 2016
The main country that refugees fled from during 2016 was Colombia,
totaling a little over 300,000 (88%):
Number of Refugees Seeking Asylum
in Latin America & Caribbean Countries in 2016
The main country to take in refugees for asylum in this region in 2016 was Venezuela
with about 172,000 (61%), followed by Ecuador, which took in just over 100,000 (36%).
Peru
Jamaica
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Ecuador
Other
Total
2,589
1,988
1,330
1,021
4,639
359,792
Chile
Peru
Other
Total
1,716
1,590
2,202
283,595
Colombia
311,051Haiti
29,661
Venezuela, RB
7,513 Argentina
3,222
Ecuador
102,848
North America
North America has had a negligible number of refugees fleeing, staying well below 100,000, although doubling nonetheless between 2010 and 2016 to land at 61,000. North America has also
seen a decrease in the number of refugees seeking asylum, going down to 408,000 from 473,000. This is likely due to changing regulations as well as location, as those in need of an immediate
and cost-effective answer will likely not be able to consider traveling that far.
Venezuela, RB
172,017

18. 17
Visualization of Major Refugee Crises
This report has included a lot of information regarding refugee movement in various parts of the world. To turn what sounds like abstract numbers into something visual, we created the
map below to give a better idea of what this movement actually looks like. The two main areas of fleeing refugees are in black, while the different shades of blue denote where these fleeing
refugees are seeking asylum.
1,131
2016-2010
5,505,881

19. 18
The significance of this study was in pinpointing the main areas where there is refugee movement, specifically out of Syria (Middle East) and Africa. The Syrian refugee crisis
is responsible for approximately 5.5 million refugees in and of itself, most of whom have spread to nearby countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, with only a small
percentage making it as far as Western European countries. As many as half are still located in Syria. Being located near Central Asia has led many refugees out of the
Middle East as those leaving this region have an easier time making it to farther destinations showing a wider general range of travel when looking for asylum.
The other main area is the African refugee crisis which, in fact, produces just as large a number of refugees as the Syrian crisis, but in a less localized way. Sudan, South
Sudan, and Somalia lead this crisis with the majority of refugees having sought asylum in Sub-Saharan African countries including Uganda, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic
of Congo. As our data points to refugees from this region largely staying in the same region, this crisis has a much smaller impact on the non-African world.
The last main point is the discrepancy for Europe in terms of refugees leaving vs refugees coming in to seek asylum. This region had as few as 649,000 leaving in 2010
and 1.6 million entering. By 2016 the number fleeing dropped to just under a half million, while the number seeking asylum skyrocketed to over 5.1 million. It should be
noted that the majority land in Turkey, however as the overall number of refugees worldwide increases, there has been more notable movement into Western European
countries than was seen before.
Summary
Here is our interactive dashboard that shows the visualization of the data we present in this report.
Drill down on any widget to discover more.

20. 19
The refugee crisis does not appear from this report, or current news, to be slowing down. It will be interesting to see how these numbers change when new refugee
data becomes available from the World Bank in the future. For now, the picture that the current data illustrates shows us that there are several areas of extreme
unrest throughout the world, and that the issues relating to refugee movement are ones that will continue to be dealt with for years to come.
Main Points
The largest localized area of refugees fleeing is Syria with 5.5 million people leaving as of 2016.
Though the source is localized, it also has the largest reach with refugees expanding out into Central Asia and Europe.
The largest non-localized area of refugees fleeing is Africa with over 6 million people fleeing from several different
countries, and generally remaining in their home region.
The Middle East is home to the most refugees seeking asylum with over 8.6 million as of 2016 meaning that this region is a
destination for refugees fleeing other regions, as well as those moving around within their own region.
Europe has the largest difference in numbers between those fleeing and those seeking asylum as it has become a
destination for refugees fleeing other regions. A large percentage (over 50%) of the European asylum count comes
from Turkey which is the main hub for refugees seeking asylum in the European region.