UNHCR People of Concern: Global Geospatial Point Layer of Displaced Populations

UNHCR provides this global geospatial point layer mapping the known locations of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless individuals. Updated in March 2026, the data categorizes populations by type and location using SPHERE handbook standards.

Use Cases

• Visualizing the global distribution of displaced groups using the population type attribute
• Categorizing humanitarian settlements according to the SPHERE-standardized location typology
• Spatial analysis of refugee concentrations using the geographic point coordinates

Strengths

• Global geographic scope covering multiple displacement categories
• Standardized typology based on the SPHERE handbook
• Available in six formats including SHP, KMZ, and API

Limitations

• Does not include specific population counts per point in the provided metadata
• Limited to 'known' locations, potentially omitting populations in remote or restricted zones

Provenance

Source

UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency

Freshness

Updated as of March 2026.

Geography

Global