List of largest refugee crises
The list below includes data for refugee crises with at least 1 million refugees, not including internally displaced persons (IDP). For events for which estimates vary, the geometric mean of the lowest and highest estimates is calculated to rank the events.
Rows highlighted in blue indicate ongoing events.
| Event | Refugees estimate | Origin | From | Until | Duration | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World War II | 60.0 million | Europe | 1939 | 1945 | 6 years | |
| Partition of India | 20.0 million | Indian subcontinent | 1947 | 1948 | 1 year | |
| World War I | 15.0 million | Europe | 1914 | 1918 | 4 years | |
| Russian invasion of Ukraine | 9.2 million | Europe | 2022 | Present | 3 years, 3 months | |
| Bangladeshi Liberation War | 9.0 million | Indian subcontinent | 1971 | 1971 | 8 months | |
| Crisis in Venezuela | 8.9 million | Venezuela | 2014 | Present | 11 years | |
| Syrian Civil War | 6.7 million | Syria | 2011 | Present | 14 years | |
| Soviet–Afghan War | 6.2 million | Afghanistan | 1978 | 1989 | 11 years | |
| Yemeni Civil War | 4.5 million | Yemen | 2015 | Present | 10 years | |
| Sudanese civil war (2023–) | 3.5 million | Sudan | 2023 | Present | 2 years, 1 month | |
| Vietnam War | 3.0 million | Mainland Southeast Asia | 1975 | 2000 | 25 years | |
| War in Afghanistan | 2.6–2.7 million | Afghanistan | 2001 | 2021 | 20 years | |
| Yugoslav Wars | 2.4 million | Yugoslavia | 1991 | 2001 | 10 years | |
| Korean War | 1.0–5.0 million | Korea | 1950 | 1953 | 3 years | |
| Iraq War | 2.2 million | Iraq | 2003 | 2011 | 8 years | |
| Rwandan Genocide | 2.1 million | Rwanda | 1994 | 1996 | 2 years | |
| Iraqi Uprisings | 1.8 million | Iraq | 1991 | 1991 | 8 months | |
| Wars in the Caucasus | 1.5–2 million | Caucasus | 1988 | 1996 | 8 years | |
| Mozambican Civil War | 1.7 million | Mozambique | 1977 | 1992 | 15 years | |
| Arab-Israeli Conflict | 1.6 million (700,000 Palestinians est. 900,000 Jews est.) |
Palestine (region) | 1947 | Present | 77 years | |
| South Sudanese Civil War | 1.5 million | South Sudan | 2011 | 2020 | 9 years | |
| Rohingya Genocide | 1.3 million | Myanmar | 2016 | Present | 9 years | |
| Algerian War | 1.0 million | Algeria | 1954 | 1962 | 8 years | |
| Irish Great Famine | 1.0 million | Ireland | 1845 | 1849 | 4 years | |
| First Libyan Civil War | 1.0 million | Libya | 2011 | 2011 | 8 months | |
| Somali Civil War | 1.0 million | Somalia | 1991 | Present | 34 years |