Population figures
Total country population
46,118,793
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
300,890
Asylum-seekers:
13,398
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
1,098,913
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
233
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
2,610
Country context
Iraq is currently at a turning point, leaving behind the effects of three decades of political turmoil and armed conflicts that deeply impacted its people. Since the end of large-scale military operations in 2017, Iraq has been experiencing relative stability and is advancing towards sustainable development. These developments notwithstanding, there remain protracted humanitarian and development needs.
Iraq generously hosts over 336,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, 90% of whom are Syrian and live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Close to 83% of refugees in Iraq live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Of these, some 32% live in nine refugee camps while the majority live in urban areas.
...UNHCR works with the Government of Iraq and partners to support the access of refugees and asylum-seekers to protection and their inclusion in public services, such as education and healthcare, as well as their access to economic opportunities and in advancing solutions.
Iraq also has over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). While the majority live in urban settings or informal settlements across the country, as of end March 2025, some 108,000 live in 20 IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In early 2024, the Government of Iraq announced its intent to close the remaining IDPs camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. While many IDPs hope to return to their homes at some point, many may be unable or unwilling to do so because of their specific profiles or the situation in their areas of origin. UNHCR supports the efforts of pursuing durable solutions for IDPs including voluntary return, local integration and relocation are available to IDPs, enabling them to make decisions on a voluntary and well-informed basis.
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Sources: UNHCR Refugee Data finder https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ | 2024 mid-year figures. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022, Online Edition https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2022_Data_Sources.pdf