Report: Number of Displaced Children Rose 46% to 13m Globally in 2025

• 35,000 children forced from their homes daily

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The number of children displaced internally by conflict and violence worldwide rose by 46 per cent to about 13 million in 2025, highlighting the worsening impact of wars and insecurity on children across several regions of the world.

New data released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and analysed by Save the Children showed that an estimated 35,000 children were forced from their homes every day on average last year due to conflict and violence.

The figures represented a sharp increase from the estimated 9 million child displacements recorded in 2024, underscoring what humanitarian agencies described as an ‘unprecedented’ global crisis affecting children.

According to the report, conflict overtook climate-related disasters as the leading cause of displacement globally for the first time in 2025, with 32.3 million internal displacements linked to violence and insecurity, compared to 29.9 million caused by disasters.

The report noted that many children were displaced multiple times as conflicts intensified in several regions, particularly in the DRC, Gaza and Sudan.

The IDMC defines internal displacement as each instance in which a person is forced to move within their own country within a given year, meaning some children may have been uprooted repeatedly.

The humanitarian organisation said the growing displacement crisis reflected a broader deterioration in the safety and welfare of children globally.

It cited an earlier report showing that a record 520 million children were living in active conflict zones in 2024, representing more than one in every five children globally and marking a 60 per cent increase since 2010.

In addition, verified incidents involving killings, maiming, sexual violence and other grave abuses against children surged by 373 per cent within the same period, indicating the increasing brutality of modern conflicts, the report said.

“The rise in displacement comes as more children than ever are growing up surrounded by war and violence.  A report by Save the Children in 2025 revealed that a record 520 million children were living in active conflict zones in 2024, or over one in five globally, which is up 60 per cent since 2010.

“UN verified incidents of killing, maiming, sexual assault and other grave violations against children meanwhile surged 373 per cent in the same period showing the increasing brutality of conflicts for children.

“In 2025, 32.7 million children were living in internal displacement – more than four in five of these due to conflict and violence, while over 19 million children were living outside their countries as refugees or asylum seekers, according to the latest data from 2024,” it stated .

The report further stated that about 32.7 million children were living in internal displacement in 2025, with more than 80 per cent displaced by conflict and violence, while over 19 million children were living outside their countries as refugees or asylum seekers.

A senior adviser on migration and displacement at Save the Children, Melinda van Zyl, described the figures as staggering, warning that behind every statistic was a child exposed to trauma, violence and uncertainty.

According to her, many displaced children are forced to abandon their homes, schools, friendships and communities, often after witnessing extreme violence and destruction.

“Last year, an estimated more than 35,000 children each day on average were forced to flee their homes due to conflict and violence – with some children in places like DRC, Gaza and Sudan forced to leave their homes two, three or even more times.

“The statistics are staggering, but a displaced child is not just a number. Behind each number is a child who has most likely witnessed the kind of violence or destruction no child should ever have to see, before having to leave behind everything that they know, including their schools, their friends, and their communities to face an uncertain future,” she explained .

Also, Save the Children called on governments and the international community to intensify efforts to prevent conflicts, promote peace and ensure accountability for violations against children.

The organisation further urged states to guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access and provide long-term support for displaced children and families affected by violence and instability.

“States must act decisively to prevent conflict,  promote peace, and protect children from displacement, while ensuring accountability.  They must also guarantee safe, sustained humanitarian access, and make sure that displaced children living in conflict zones, as well as those who have fled from violence have access to humanitarian aid and long-term solutions that take children’s needs into account,” van Zyl stated.