Ecuador: Country Report | 2024
AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.
Executive Summary
Of course. Here is the ‘Key Trends’ executive summary for the High Commissioner.
KEY TRENDS: ECUADOR AT THE EPICENTRE OF A REGIONAL CRISIS
Ecuador now stands at the epicentre of a profound and dual-natured displacement crisis, a reality that demands our urgent and unified attention. The country’s protection landscape has been fundamentally reshaped, with the population of concern surging to include over 439,000 individuals, primarily driven by the exodus from Venezuela. This massive influx adds immense pressure to a nation that has for decades provided sanctuary to refugees, including a long-standing population of nearly 20,000 Colombians. In a stark illustration of the region’s instability, Ecuador is simultaneously becoming a significant country of origin, with nearly 450,000 of its own citizens forced to seek protection abroad. This dual reality—as both a critical host and a source of displacement—underscores the multifaceted fragility gripping the Americas.
The immense generosity of Ecuador and its people is being tested by severely strained national systems. The country’s asylum process, a lifeline for thousands, is buckling under the weight of demand. Asylum-seekers face a staggering average wait of 1,323 days for a decision, trapping them in a prolonged state of uncertainty that hinders their ability to work, integrate, and rebuild. Furthermore, stark disparities in refugee recognition rates based on nationality point to systemic challenges that require immediate support to ensure fair and efficient protection for all who seek it, regardless of their origin.
The most alarming trend, however, is a near-total gap between the provision of safety and the availability of long-term solutions. Our data reveals a painful paradox: while Ecuador granted protection to over 13,300 refugees between 2019 and 2023, the number of durable solutions—through resettlement, local integration, or voluntary repatriation—was zero. This is not a statistic; it is a generation being left in limbo. Granting asylum is a life-saving act, but it cannot be the final destination. Without a renewed international commitment to responsibility-sharing and the creation of tangible pathways to a dignified future, we risk turning protection into a permanent state of protracted crisis for hundreds of thousands.
Population Overview
Population Overview: Ecuador
The demographic landscape of populations of concern in Ecuador has been profoundly reshaped in recent years, marked by a significant shift in the composition of displaced and vulnerable groups. The data reveals that the most defining trend has been the exponential growth of the ‘Others of concern’ category. This population, which was negligible prior to 2020, surged to become the largest single cohort, numbering over 439,000 individuals by mid-2024. This constitutes a staggering 93 per cent of this population group, overshadowing the more stable, yet still significant, populations of refugees and asylum-seekers.
Behind these stark numbers, the composition of the established refugee population in Ecuador remains distinctly shaped by long-standing regional dynamics. Refugees from neighbouring Colombia continue to represent the overwhelming majority, with 19,710 individuals accounting for nearly 89 per cent of all refugees in the country. This underscores the protracted nature of this displacement situation and Ecuador’s critical, long-standing role as a primary host country. While smaller in number, populations fleeing global crises, including from Afghanistan and the Syrian Arab Republic, highlight the country’s continued provision of international protection.
The demographic profile of the overall population of concern points to specific protection needs and capacities. The population is heavily concentrated in the primary working-age bracket of 18 to 59 years, which comprises the largest cohort for both males and females, with a slight female majority overall. This structure signals a pressing need for interventions focused on livelihoods, local economic integration, and access to the labour market. Despite the long-term growth trends, recent data from 2023 to 2024 indicates a net reduction across several monitored population groups. These shifts may reflect a range of factors, including onward movements or updates in registration methodologies, illustrating the fluid and complex nature of displacement in the country.
Demographics
AI Insight: A treemap chart of the Population of Concern in Ecuador by population type, where ‘Others of concern’ constitute the vast majority with over 439,000 individuals., This treemap visualization details the composition of the 469,000 individuals classified as ‘Population of Concern’ in Ecuador as of 2024. The chart uses proportionally sized rectangles to represent each category’s share of the total population.
The most significant finding is the overwhelming predominance of the ‘Others of concern’ category, which numbers 439,097 individuals. This single group accounts for approximately 93.6% of the total population of concern, and its corresponding rectangle visually dominates the treemap.
The remaining categories are significantly smaller. The other non-zero population types, such as refugees, asylum-seekers, and Venezuelans displaced abroad, collectively make up the remaining 6.4% (approximately 29,900 individuals). According to the data, three of the seven reported categories have populations of zero: ‘Returned refugees’ and ‘Returned IDPs’ are explicitly listed with no individuals.
AI Insight: Population pyramid of persons of concern in Ecuador by age and gender, where the 18-59 age group represents the largest cohort for both females and males., This population pyramid displays the age and gender distribution for the 3,405,216 persons of concern (including refugees, asylum-seekers, and IDPs) in Ecuador as of 2024. The vertical axis categorizes the population into five age groups: 0-4, 5-11, 12-17, 18-59, and 60+. The horizontal axis represents the percentage of the population for each gender.
Key statistical observations include: - Dominant Age Group: The population is heavily concentrated in the working-age adult cohort (18-59), which comprises the largest bars on the pyramid. This group accounts for 35.8% of the female population and 32.2% of the male population. - Gender Distribution: There is a slight majority of females in the total population. The mean percentage across female age cohorts is 10.4%, compared to 9.6% for male cohorts. - Age Structure: The pyramid shows a constricted base, indicating a smaller proportion of children and adolescents relative to the large adult population. The elderly population (60+) constitutes the smallest demographic segment.
Overall, the demographic structure points to a significant working-age population of concern in Ecuador, with a balanced, slightly female-majority gender distribution. This highlights potential needs related to livelihoods, economic integration, and adult-focused protection services.
Trends Over Time
AI Insight: Column chart of population types in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024, where the ‘Others of concern’ category experiences a dramatic increase, becoming the largest group by 2024., This column chart details the number of persons of concern (in thousands) in Ecuador by population type, for each year from 2019 to 2024. The data reveals a significant shift in the demographic composition of displaced populations over this period.
The most striking trend is the exponential growth of the ‘Others of concern’ category. This group, which was negligible in the early years, surged to become the largest population by a wide margin, reaching approximately 504,000 individuals by 2024. In contrast, the ‘Asylum-seekers’ population, while significant, remained relatively stable, fluctuating around the 60,000 to 70,000 mark. The ‘Refugees’ category also shows stability but at a lower count. Other categories tracked, including ‘Venezuelans displaced abroad’, ‘Internally displaced persons’, and ‘Stateless persons’, consistently represent very small numbers throughout the six-year period. The statistical profile, with a mean value of approximately 88,000 and a median of just 3,500, highlights the profound impact of the ‘Others of concern’ category on the overall figures, skewing the average significantly upwards.
AI Insight: Bar chart of population changes in Ecuador from 2023 to 2024, where all six monitored population groups either decreased in size or remained stable, with the largest drop being 39,681 people., This horizontal bar chart details the absolute and percentage changes for six distinct population groups of concern in Ecuador between 2023 and 2024. The chart visualizes decreases as bars extending to the left from a vertical zero-axis.
Statistical analysis reveals that no population group saw an increase. Four of the six groups experienced a decrease, while two groups registered no change. The decreases in population size ranged from 338 to a maximum of 39,681 individuals. The average change across all six groups was a decrease of 11,784 people.
For three of the groups that saw a reduction, the percentage change is also displayed, with values of 4%, 5%, and 8%. The data indicates a net reduction in the recorded populations of concern in Ecuador for the period. These decreases could be attributed to various factors, including onward movements, returns, successful integration or resettlement, or updates in registration and data verification processes.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the number of refugees in Ecuador by their top 9 countries of origin in 2024, where the population from Colombia (19,710) is overwhelmingly larger than all other origins., This horizontal bar chart displays the population of refugees in Ecuador by their top nine countries of origin, plus an ‘Others’ category, as of 2024. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution, dominated by refugees from Colombia.
Key Observations: - The total number of refugees from the listed origins is 22,126. - The vast majority, 19,710 individuals (approximately 89% of the total shown), are from Colombia. This figure is substantially larger than that of any other group, highlighting the long-standing displacement situation related to Colombia and Ecuador’s significant role as a host country. - The ‘Others’ category, an aggregate of all other nationalities not in the top nine, is the second-largest group with 1,296 individuals. - Following Colombia, the next largest single country of origin is Afghanistan, with 337 refugees. - The remaining countries of origin have significantly smaller populations, ranging from 223 for the Syrian Arab Republic down to 52 for Iraq.
Detailed breakdown of refugee populations by country of origin: - Colombia: 19,710 - Others: 1,296 - Afghanistan: 337 - Syrian Arab Republic: 223 - Cuba: 147 - Peru: 116 - Russian Federation: 104 - Iran (Islamic Rep. of): 82 - Yemen: 59 - Iraq: 52
The chart underscores that while Ecuador hosts refugees from diverse global crises, the refugee response in the country is primarily shaped by the displacement from neighboring Colombia.
Geography & Movements
Regional Focus: The Dual Reality of Displacement in Ecuador
The Americas continue to witness complex and overlapping displacement dynamics, with Ecuador at the epicentre of a dual trend, serving as both a major host country and, increasingly, a country of origin for those seeking international protection. The data reveals a profound demographic shift within Ecuador’s borders, driven almost entirely by the crisis in Venezuela.
An analysis of population trends from 2019 to 2025 shows the number of forcibly displaced people from Venezuela grew exponentially, reaching a peak of over 500,000 and establishing them as the predominant displaced group. This influx has reshaped the protection landscape in the country, far surpassing the more stable, long-standing displaced population from Colombia. As of 2024, the scale of this situation is clear: of the nearly 20,000 recognized refugees in Ecuador from the top nine countries of origin, the vast majority are from Venezuela. This places immense pressure on national systems and host communities, highlighting the enduring need for robust international support and regional solutions.
Concurrently, Ecuador itself has become a significant source of forcibly displaced people. Behind these stark numbers lies a story of a principal migration corridor directed northwards. The data underscores a highly concentrated outward movement, with the United States emerging as the primary destination, hosting 448,064 individuals from Ecuador. This figure represents a significant outlier, as the median number of displaced Ecuadorians across other top ten destination countries is just over 9,000. While smaller populations find refuge in Europe and neighbouring countries in the Americas, this pattern points to a focused exodus, likely driven by a confluence of compounding economic, social, and security factors. This dual reality—hosting large displaced populations while seeing its own citizens flee—illustrates the multifaceted nature of forced displacement in the region and the urgent need for comprehensive protection responses at every point of the journey.
AI Insight: World map of destination countries for people of concern to UNHCR from Ecuador, where the United States is the primary destination, hosting nearly 100,000 individuals., This choropleth map illustrates the global distribution of people of concern to UNHCR originating from Ecuador as of 2024. The data encompasses refugees, asylum-seekers, and other populations in need of international protection. Countries are color-coded to represent the number of individuals hosted, with darker shades indicating higher numbers.
The analysis of the underlying data, which covers 34 destination countries, reveals a highly concentrated distribution. The median number of individuals hosted per country is 68, while the mean is significantly higher at 3,830, pointing to a strong right skew in the data. The population figures range from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 99,588.
The primary destination country is the United States, hosting the maximum observed population of 99,588 individuals. Other significant destination regions, though with considerably smaller populations, are located in the Americas and Western Europe. Three-quarters of the host countries have fewer than 452 individuals each, underscoring the concentration in a few key nations. This pattern highlights a principal migration corridor from Ecuador to the United States, likely driven by a combination of economic, social, and security factors.
