Population figures
Total country population
43,372,950
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
34,834
Asylum-seekers:
281
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
3,221,286
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
1,738,747
Others of concern to UNHCR
72,883
Country context
Afghanistan is located in South Asia, bordered by Iran to the west, Pakistan to the east and south, China to the far northeast, and Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to the north. The country has experienced prolonged conflict, leading to significant displacement both within its borders and across the region.
Afghanistan has ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol; however, it has not enacted national legislation to implement these instruments. Consequently, there is no formal legal framework for refugee status determination, leaving asylum seekers without a clear legal process to establish their status. Despite these limitations, asylum-seekers and refugees benefit from access to territory and asylum via registration procedures managed by UNHCR.
...Afghanistan has not acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The absence of a national legal framework to address statelessness results in individuals without a nationality facing difficulties in accessing basic rights and services and in securing documentation and official recognition of their status, further complicating their ability to integrate into society.
Although UNHCR continues to call on States to suspend the forcible return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan due to the situation in the country, more than 3 million Afghans are estimated to have returned or been deported from Iran and Pakistan since 2024, including over 1.5 million in 2024 alone. Returnees face multiple challenges in reintegrating due to restricted opportunities for economic self-reliance, barriers to education and limited access to civil documentation. Such mass returns have strained Afghanistan’s already overstretched resources and services.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) constitute a significant portion of the forcibly displaced population in Afghanistan. IDPs face numerous challenges, particularly in accessing basic services, employment, and education. A significant number of these individuals, particularly women and children, do not have documentation, which hinders their ability to secure legal rights and access essential services. Women and girls face a systematic discrimination, limiting access to rights and services. In 2021, the 2004 Constitution, which provided equal rights and duties before the law for both women and men, was suspended, so was the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women. The issuance of over 80 decrees and directives, including a 2024 Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has led to substantial restrictions on women’s basic rights and fundamental freedoms.
The country also faces substantial environmental challenges, including frequent droughts and flooding, which contribute to displacement. The country’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters exacerbates the situation for both the forcibly displaced population and host communities. Moreover, the socio-economic conditions in the country have been impacted by a significant reduction in external financial support, which affects the resilience and coping mechanisms of forcibly displaced populations and host communities alike.
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