Germany Takes Second-Most Refugees Worldwide
Germany now hosts 2.7 million refugees, second only to Colombia's 2.8 million, with Ukrainians, Syrians, and Afghans comprising the largest groups, according to UNHCR data.
Germany now hosts the second-highest number of refugees in the world, trailing only Colombia, according to newly released data from the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.
The Federal Republic is home to 2.7 million refugees, as Nius reports, citing the agency’s latest annual report. Only Colombia exceeds that figure with 2.8 million refugees, though nearly all of those are Venezuelans who fled the neighboring socialist regime.
By the end of 2025, a total of 35.6 million refugees and people in refugee-like situations were living worldwide. Under UNHCR definitions, this includes 27 million individuals with formal refugee status under the Geneva Convention, 7.2 million persons with other forms of international protection, and 1.5 million people classified as living in refugee-like circumstances.
The largest refugee group currently residing in Germany consists of 1.2 million Ukrainians. Syrian nationals represent the second-largest cohort with 668,600 people, followed by 288,300 Afghans.
Year-over-year trends show the Afghan refugee population grew by three percent, while Ukrainians declined by three percent and Syrians dropped by eight percent.
Naturalization Drives Syrian Decline in Refugee Count
The decrease in Syrian refugees recorded in Germany does not reflect mass departures from the country, according to Nius. Instead, substantial numbers of Syrians are being naturalized or granted alternative residence permits, which removes them from UNHCR refugee statistics even though they remain in Germany.
During the current year, approximately 4,800 new Syrian asylum seekers arrived in Germany, while only several thousand departed.
Global Refugee Distribution
Ranked behind Germany are Turkey with 2.4 million refugees, Uganda with 1.9 million, Iran with 1.7 million, Chad with 1.5 million, and Pakistan with 1.3 million.
Turkey experienced a notable 19 percent decline in its refugee population within a single year, which UNHCR attributes primarily to substantial voluntary return movements of Syrian refugees back to their homeland.
With information from Nius
