Global forced displacement, 2001-2010. At the end of 2010, some 43.7 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to conflict and persecution, the highest number in more than 15 years. This included 15.4 million refugees, 27.5 million IDPs, and more than 837,500 individuals whose asylum application had not yet been adjudicated by the end of the reporting period. UNHCR

At the end of 2010, some 43.7 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to conflict and persecution, the highest number in more than 15 years. This included 15.4 million refugees, 27.5 million IDPs, and more than 837,500 individuals whose asylum application had not yet been adjudicated by the end of the reporting period. The total number of refugees and IDPs under UNHCR’s care remained high, standing at 25.2 million by yearend. While the number of refugees increased marginally to 10.55 million, the number of IDPs protected or assisted by UNHCR dropped to 14.7 million. This was the result of a large number of IDPs being able to return during the course of 2010. In addition, UNHCR estimated that up to 12 million people were stateless, with the Office having reliable statistics for some 3.5 million of them.

UNHCR Global Trends 2010