The National
The National
The National
The National

Chart of the week: Countries hosting the largest Syrian refugee populations


Nour Ibrahim
  • English
  • Arabic

This chart highlights the critical role countries play in providing safety and support to Syrian refugees. Data sourced from UNHCR
This chart highlights the critical role countries play in providing safety and support to Syrian refugees. Data sourced from UNHCR

Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria

The crisis in Syria is now extending into its 14th year, with devastating consequences for millions of people.

As of 2024, an estimated 16.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) says. The Syria situation remains one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with a 2025 projection of 7.2 million internally displaced people and 6.2 million refugees.

Our latest Chart of the Week illustrates the top 10 host countries for Syrian refugees this year, nations that together host 95 per cent of all Syrian refugees worldwide, based on UNHCR data.

Neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, as well as nearby Egypt, continue to play a critical role in providing refuge for millions of displaced Syrians, along with European nations such as Germany and Sweden.

These countries are providing vital shelter and services to displaced populations. Turkey alone hosts more than 3 million refugees, making it the top host country for Syrians and illustrating its central role in the humanitarian response.

Lebanon and Jordan also host significant numbers of refugees, despite economic challenges and constrained resources.

This comes as some European nations recently announced a suspension of asylum applications for Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime.

Read more about decisions by countries such as Germany, Sweden and the UK to pause applications here.

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
​​​​​​​Release Date: April 10

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

Updated: February 28, 2025, 6:16 AM`