UNHCR: 2.9 Million Afghans Returned in 2025, Totaling 5.4 Million Since October 2023

The UN refugee agency says 2.9 million Afghan citizens returned from neighboring countries in 2025, exacerbating pressures on the country amid a humanitarian and economic crisis.

UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal said at a press conference in Geneva on Friday that the total number of Afghans who have returned or been forced to return since October 2023 stands at about 5.4 million. He noted that nearly 150,000 people returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 so far.

UNHCR emphasized that the speed and scale of these returns are deepening Afghanistan's crisis, where the country grapples with widespread human rights restrictions, particularly against women and girls, a fragile economy and recurring natural disasters. A recent World Bank report states that the rapid population increase from returnees led to a 4% decline in Afghanistan's GDP per capita in 2025.

Field surveys by UNHCR show that slightly more than half of returnees have found some informal work, dropping to less than one-quarter for women. Over half of returnee families lack identity documents such as ID cards, and more than 90% live on less than $5 a day, raising concerns about the sustainability of these returns.

In a survey of returnees, 5% said they plan to leave Afghanistan again, while over 10% know someone who has re-migrated after returning. UNHCR said such decisions stem primarily from an inability to rebuild a stable and dignified life, rather than a mere desire to leave.

The agency warned that shrinking asylum space in the region and restricted legal migration routes are pushing people toward increasingly dangerous journeys. For 2026, UNHCR plans to focus on reintegration, including protection services, housing and livelihood support, especially for women. It requires $216 million to assist displaced people and returnees across Afghanistan but has received only 8% of the funding so far.

UNHCR urged the international community to increase financial support at this "critical moment" and ensure no one is returned to places where their rights and freedoms are at risk.