Pakistan: Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Pakistan's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) fell 91% on 2022 (from 8.17 million to 732,000).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2022), the average change was +2,193.9% and a typical year strayed about 4,512.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 13,066.7% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 98.7% in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 15% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Pakistan had the 8th highest value of the 90 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Pakistan in the 2023 ranking

• Bangladesh — 5th of 90: 1.79 million
• Myanmar — 6th of 90: 995,000
• Brazil — 7th of 90: 745,000
• Malawi — 9th of 90: 660,000
• Mozambique — 10th of 90: 655,000
• Kenya — 11th of 90: 641,000

What this measures

Internally displaced persons are defined according to the 1998 Guiding Principles (http://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/1998/ocha-guiding-principles-on-internal-displacement) as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of armed conflict, or to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border. "New Displacement" refers to the number of new cases or incidents of displacement recorded over the specified year, rather than the number of people displaced. This is done because people may have been displaced more than once.

Limitations: Please note that most of the figures are estimates. The definition highlights two issues: 1) The coercive or otherwise involuntary character of movement. The definition mentions some of the most common causes of involuntary movements, such as armed conflict, violence, human rights violations and disasters. These causes have in common that they give no choice to people but to leave their homes and deprive them of the most essential protection mechanisms, such as community networks, access to services, livelihoods. Displacement severely affects the physical, socio-economic and legal safety of people and should be systematically regarded as an indicator of potential vulnerability.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 16 values

Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 418,000 (2023)
• Algeria — 23,000 (2023)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 124,000 (2023)
• Iraq — 36,000 (2023)
• West Bank and Gaza — 250 (2022)
• Yemen, Rep. — 240,000 (2023)

More public sector data for Pakistan

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 706 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 11.87 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 3.34 trillion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.91% (2025)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 1,534 (2024)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 943,000 (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 13.83% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.25% (2020)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 4.33 (2023)
• Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Pakistan's internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)?

732,000 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is up 722.47% from 89,000 in 2008 (15.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 11.06 million in 2010 and the lowest 1,800 in 2017.

How does Pakistan rank?

8th highest of 90 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases) unusual for Pakistan?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator VC.IDP.NWDS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), uri: http://www.internal-displacement.org/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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