More than 82.2 million people were living displaced within their own countries by the end of 2025 after fleeing armed conflict or natural disasters, according to the latest report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The figure, roughly equivalent to the population of Germany, reflects one of the largest humanitarian crises in modern history and underscores the growing inability of governments and international institutions to shield civilians from escalating violence and climate-related devastation.
Although the total number fell slightly from the 83.4 million recorded in 2024, researchers warn that the decline is misleading. Experts from the IDMC say the reduction represents less than a 2% decrease and is mainly linked to limited returns in a handful of crisis zones rather than any meaningful global improvement. They caution that conflicts in countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria remain volatile and continue to generate massive displacement.
The report reveals a major turning point in global displacement trends. For the first time since comparable international records began, wars and violence caused more forced internal movements than natural disasters. Armed conflicts triggered a historic 32.3 million forced displacements during 2025, a 60% increase from the previous year, surpassing the 29.9 million movements caused by floods, storms, cyclones and other climate-related disasters. By the end of the year, 68.6 million people remained displaced due to conflict, while 13.6 million were uprooted by environmental catastrophes.
Researchers say the changing nature of modern warfare is driving the surge. Increasingly internationalized conflicts are spreading into densely populated urban centers, multiplying the human toll and destroying critical infrastructure. Iran and the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone accounted for nearly two-thirds of all conflict-related displacements in 2025, with approximately 10 million movements recorded in Iran and 9.7 million in Congo.
The situation in Iran became especially alarming during the military escalation of June 2025, when millions fled Tehran and other cities within less than two weeks. Although many later returned home, the IDMC insists these temporary displacements must still be counted because of their profound social and economic consequences. In Congo, the advance of armed groups in the eastern regions and the capture of Goma generated one of the largest internal exoduses on Earth, with many displaced people returning only because they had no viable alternative despite ongoing insecurity and destruction.
Climate disasters continued to devastate vulnerable regions across the globe. Storms, floods, wildfires and cyclones displaced nearly 30 million people during the year, with East Asia and the Pacific accounting for 59% of all climate-related movements. The Philippines alone represented more than half of the region’s total. Analysts say the concentration of populations in high-risk coastal and flood-prone areas continues to amplify the scale of displacement.
Even Europe was not spared. Spain emerged as the third European country with the highest number of climate-related displacements in 2025, recording nearly 30,000 evacuations, primarily due to severe wildfires. A single fire in the Castilla y León region forced more than 19,000 people to flee their homes, marking one of the country’s worst displacement events in recent years.
The report also highlights the growing invisibility of internally displaced people compared to refugees who cross international borders. While refugees benefit from international legal protections and dedicated oversight from the United Nations refugee agency, internally displaced populations remain under the authority of their own governments, even in situations where those governments are unable or unwilling to protect them. Humanitarian experts warn that this lack of visibility often leaves millions without adequate international attention or assistance.
Compounding the crisis, humanitarian agencies are increasingly struggling to collect reliable data as conflicts intensify and global aid budgets shrink. The IDMC reported serious difficulties obtaining information in 15% of monitored countries, partly due to major cuts in humanitarian and development funding led by the United States and other donors during 2025. Researchers warn that declining visibility risks creating the false impression that the crisis is easing when, in reality, millions remain trapped in worsening conditions with diminishing international support.
