Islamic Republic of Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran is host to the largest refugee population in the world, hosting refugees and people in refugee-like situations for over four decades.
 

$140 million

are urgently needed from January to December 2024

Check the latest Funding Update

man with sunflowers
A young Afghan refugee working as a florist in Pakdasht, Iran. @UNHCR/Zahra Nazari
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According to the information available to UNHCR, Iran is host to some 773,049 refugees holding Amayesh (760,874 Afghans) and Hoviat cards (12,175 Iraqis). In 2022, the Government of Iran undertook a ‘headcount’ of undocumented Afghan nationals in the country, including those who arrived following the events of August 2021. Afghans who participated in the exercise received a ‘headcount slip’, which provided this group with a form of temporary protection.

In total, UNHCR estimates that some 3.7 million forcibly displaced persons of various documentation statuses currently reside in Iran. 99 per cent reside in urban areas while the remaining one per cent live in 20 government-run refugee settlements. As the situation in Afghanistan remains volatile, UNHCR foresees that Afghans, especially women and girls, will likely flee to Iran.

Explore UNHCR’s Operational Data Portal for more information and updates related to Iran and the Afghanistan situation.
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Populations

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Population types

Note: The "Stateless" category does not include stateless people who are also in other categories, to avoid double counting. The total number of stateless, across all categories, is  .

NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

Population by country

NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

Population by origin

NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.

Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.

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Financials

Budget and expenditure trend

Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.

Budget by pillar

Budget by objective

Note: The table presents the  budget for this operation broken down at the objective level. Resource allocation at the objective level is subject to change during the course of the year as the operational situation evolves and priorities shift. The current budget, reflected in the bottom line of this table, is updated on a monthly basis and is replaced by the final budget at year-end.

Expenditure by Outcome Area

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Source: 2024 budget and 2023 current budget are taken from the budget document approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee in October 2023.

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.

Budget by Impact Area

Protect: Attaining favourable protection environments
Respond: Realizing rights in safe environments
Empower: Empowering communities and achieving gender equality
Solve: Securing solutions

Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas

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Impact indicators
Performance indicators
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Strategy
Strategy - Country
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Latest updates

May 2022
published
2 years ago
January - May 2022
published
2 years ago
Islamic Republic of Iran Funding Update - 2021
31 December 2021
published
2 years ago
16 October 2021
published
3 years ago
September 2021
published
3 years ago
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The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
UNHCR GIS data is publicly accessible in the Operational Data Portal