The world’s most vulnerable communities are bearing the heaviest burden of internal displacement, with their situation worsening in recent years, according to a new report from the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Global Data Institute and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
“This report shows, for the first time, internal displacement worldwide not just as dots on a map, but as human lives shaped by age, education, health, and livelihood,” said IOM Deputy Director for Operations Ugochi Daniels. “It reminds us that upholding the rights and dignity of displaced people requires urgent action to ensure all their needs are met.”
Vulnerabilities deepening
The report provides the first global analysis of the characteristics of communities in areas affected by internal displacement. It reveals that:
- 88 percent have a higher proportion of children than the global average
- 93 percent have lower income levels
- 66 percent have lower education levels
- 61 percent have lower life expectancy
The vulnerabilities of displaced populations have also grown more severe. In 2018, 28 percent of people in displacement-affected areas were children. By 2024, that figure had risen to 40 percent. Over the same period, average annual income in impacted communities collapsed from 11,800 US dollars to just 1,600 dollars.
Different causes, different impacts
The report highlights stark contrasts in the characteristics of communities affected by different types of displacement.
- Drought displacement (most common in Ethiopia and Somalia): Populations are young with an average age of 18 years. They include a high share of children at 43 percent. Education is limited to an average of three years. Life expectancy is low, at 61 years. Annual income is very low at 2,400 dollars.
- Wildfire displacement (mainly in the western United States): Populations are older (35.7 years average age), with fewer children (19 percent), higher education levels (12.6 years), long life expectancy (80 years), and high annual income (79,000 dollars).
Storm and flood displacements disproportionately affect farming communities, while droughts hit pastoral populations. Conflict and wildfires primarily affect urban and semi-urban communities.
Data-driven insights for policy
The analysis combines IDMC’s geolocated dataset of 349 million internal displacements worldwide between 2018 and 2024 with high-resolution maps. These maps include demographic, socio-economic, and land-use data. This approach creates detailed profiles of populations living in displacement-affected areas, categorized by both cause and region.
The report arrives as humanitarian funding faces mounting pressure, making efficient resource allocation more urgent. Its findings provide governments and aid organizations with a clearer understanding of who is most vulnerable and how to tailor support.
“Internal displacement disrupts people’s lives, from education to livelihoods,” said IDMC Director Alexandra Bilak. “Investing in reliable data gives governments and partners the evidence to identify who is most at risk and direct resources where they are needed most. But data alone is not enough – it must be matched by sustained government action to turn evidence into solutions.”