Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the war has forced millions of Ukrainians to leave their homes. According to a UNHCR report for October 2025, the global number of Ukrainian refugees exceeded 5.8 million, with about 5.2 million of them residing in European countries. At the same time, there has been massive internal displacement within Ukraine, with around 3.8 million people now classified as internally displaced persons (IDPs) (IOM estimate for April 2025). These figures illustrate the scale and protracted nature of the displacement crisis, with most people having been away from their homes for more than two years. The new report confirms that returns to the homeland are extremely slow, while the needs of displaced persons and refugees for housing, medical care and other assistance are growing.
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Number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe and worldwide
According to UNHCR data, more than 5.8 million Ukrainians had left the country due to the war by the end of October 2025. Germany has taken in the largest number of refugees (≈1.22 million). About one million Ukrainians are in Poland, almost 400,000 are in the Czech Republic, and over 250,000 are in the United Kingdom. As of the reporting period, more than 4.3 million Ukrainians were under temporary protection in the EU (not including those who received asylum or other statuses), but the actual number is slightly higher due to the consolidated data from different countries. However, even this huge figure is not final: some refugees have left for other regions of the world, and mobile migration remains unaccounted for. All these data emphasise that the Ukrainian crisis has left the region with an unprecedented number of people in need of protection and assistance.
Internally displaced persons in Ukraine — numbers and challenges
There are approximately 3.8 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine (according to estimates by the International Organisation for Migration as of early April 2025). This leaves almost 10% of the country’s pre-war population away from their homes. A significant proportion of IDPs are in temporary shelters or are temporarily living with relatives or renting accommodation, which places a burden on local communities. Most displaced persons became so more than two years ago, which is why their situation is considered extremely protracted: many families have exhausted their savings and are in dire need of stability and income. One of the main problems is housing – a significant percentage of damaged or destroyed homes leaves IDPs virtually homeless. According to the UN Refugee Agency, about 13% of Ukraine’s total housing stock has been damaged or destroyed, creating an urgent need to provide people with temporary shelter and rebuild their homes. There are also many pregnant women, elderly people and children among IDPs who require special medical and social services.
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Returning home: scale and trends
Some refugees are returning to Ukraine, but the numbers remain relatively small. According to the ILO and the UN, approximately 100,000 former refugees return every six months. Most returns are recorded from Europe and some other countries, mainly to the western and central regions of Ukraine, where the threat of hostilities is lower and housing has been preserved. At the same time, even among those who have returned, many plan to leave again because there is no guarantee of security or adequate living conditions. Overall, after several years of war, it has become clear that returns are sporadic and cautious. This confirms the trend that returns to a full restoration of pre-war lifestyles will not be possible without lasting peace and large-scale reconstruction.
Humanitarian situation: access to aid, housing, medicine
Humanitarian needs in Ukraine continue to grow. It is estimated that around 12.7 million people will need support in 2025. Damage to infrastructure leaves many without basic amenities: around 2.5 million homes (13% of the pre-war housing stock) have been destroyed or damaged. UNHCR, together with its partners, is providing comprehensive assistance to those affected: since the start of the invasion, more than 410,000 emergency housing kits have been delivered, psychological support has been provided to hundreds of thousands of people, and more than 37,000 damaged homes have been repaired. However, this is not enough to cover all needs. The healthcare system is under significant pressure due to destroyed hospitals and a shortage of medicines, especially for the chronically ill, and winter is making the situation even more difficult. Ukrainians who have been left homeless or have been victims of hostilities often rely on cash assistance from UNHCR or collective centres – but such resources are limited. As a result, the UN report emphasises that without sustained efforts to rebuild and increase aid, the humanitarian situation will remain critical, despite the easing of hostilities in some regions.
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