Peru: 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 report on Peru.
Key Trends: Displacement in the Americas - A Focus on Peru
For Immediate Release
Peru stands at a humanitarian crossroads, now host to 1.71 million people of concern to UNHCR, solidifying its role as an epicentre of displacement in the Americas. This staggering figure is overwhelmingly driven by the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, with over 91,000 people newly in need of protection in the first half of 2024 alone. The demographic profile—a near-equal gender split with a high concentration of working-age individuals—highlights not only immense human potential but also the urgent need for livelihood and integration support to prevent a generation from being lost to protracted displacement.
The dynamics of this crisis are defined by highly concentrated corridors of movement. Peru is grappling with a dual role: it is a primary destination for those fleeing Venezuela while simultaneously being a significant country of origin for people seeking safety abroad, predominantly in the United States. This intense, two-way flow places an immense and sustained strain on national asylum systems. With applications far outpacing decisions, a significant backlog is growing, while inconsistent recognition rates globally reveal a protection system where a person’s safety can depend as much on geography as on their need.
While the scale of displacement is clear, the path to stability is dangerously opaque. Our data reveals a critical solutions gap: while we can track the granting of refugee status, there is a complete void of data on durable solutions such as local integration or resettlement for these populations. This asymmetry between tracking needs and measuring outcomes is a systemic failure. It prevents effective planning, hinders the allocation of resources, and ultimately obscures whether the promise of protection is translating into a dignified and self-reliant future. We call upon our partners to not only support the immediate humanitarian response but to invest in the systems required to make durable solutions visible, achievable, and a reality for the millions hosted by Peru and other frontline states.
Population Overview
Population Overview: Displacement in the Americas
Peru continues to be one of the largest host countries for refugees and migrants in Latin America, with the total population of concern to UNHCR standing at 1.71 million by mid-2024. This figure is overwhelmingly shaped by the ongoing displacement from Venezuela, which has created a unique protection landscape within the country.
Behind these stark numbers, the data reveals a highly concentrated demographic. The ‘Others of concern’ category, which in the Peruvian context largely comprises Venezuelans in need of international protection, constitutes the vast majority of the population at over 1.1 million individuals, or 66 per cent of the total. An analysis of trends since 2019 confirms that the growth in this specific category has been the primary driver of the significant increase in displaced populations in the country, dwarfing other groups such as recognized refugees and asylum-seekers.
This trend continued into the first half of 2024. The net increase in populations of concern was driven almost exclusively by a 9.6 per cent rise in Venezuelans with other forms of stay, equivalent to an increase of more than 91,000 people. This growth occurred even as the number of asylum-seekers registered a decrease of 1.2 per cent, a shift that may reflect progress in case processing or other population movements. Even within the smaller, formally recognized refugee population, a single nationality of origin accounts for a disproportionately large share, underscoring the concentrated nature of displacement flows into Peru.
The demographic profile of the displaced population highlights the profound human dimension of this crisis. A near-equal gender distribution is observed across all age groups, with a significant concentration of individuals in the primary working-age cohort of 18-59 years. This demographic structure underscores not only a significant potential for socio-economic contribution but also points to an urgent and substantial need for livelihood support, skills development, and local integration programmes to ensure displaced populations can achieve self-reliance and live in dignity.
Demographics
AI Insight: Treemap of the 1.71 million persons of concern in Peru by population type, where the ‘Others of concern’ category constitutes the vast majority, at over 1.1 million individuals., This treemap visualizes the distribution of the 1,711,000 persons of concern to UNHCR in Peru as of 2024, broken down into seven distinct population categories. The data reveals a highly concentrated demographic landscape. One category overwhelmingly dominates, accounting for 1,135,215 individuals, which represents approximately 66.4% of the total population of concern. This largest group typically corresponds to ‘Others of concern’, which in the Peruvian context primarily includes displaced Venezuelans. The remaining six categories are significantly smaller in comparison. The high standard deviation (440,177) relative to the mean (244,426) underscores this extreme skew. The median population size for a category is only 12,706, highlighting how much smaller the other groups are. The data also indicates that there are zero individuals registered as ‘Returned refugees’ or ‘Returned IDPs’ in Peru for this period.
AI Insight: Population pyramid of persons of concern in Peru by age and gender, where the largest cohort consists of adults aged 18-59, with a near-equal distribution between males and females., This population pyramid illustrates the age and gender distribution of 3,015,650 persons of concern in Peru as of 2024, for whom 100% gender disaggregation is available. The chart is structured into five standard age groups for both male and female populations, with values expressed as a percentage of the total.
Key Observations: - Overall Gender Distribution: The population is nearly evenly split by gender, with females comprising approximately 50.5% and males 49.5% of the total. - Age Structure: The pyramid is widest in the middle, indicating that the adult population aged 18-59 is the largest demographic group. This cohort represents 33.5% of the female population and 32.1% of the male population, making it the most significant group by a large margin. - Youth and Elderly Populations: The younger age groups (0-4, 5-11, 12-17) form a smaller base relative to the central adult cohort. The elderly population (60+) constitutes the smallest percentage for both genders.
Implications for UNHCR Programming: The demographic profile highlights a substantial working-age population, underscoring the critical need for livelihood support, skills training, and economic inclusion programs in Peru. The presence of children and adolescents, while a smaller proportion, still necessitates continued investment in education, child protection, and family services. The balanced gender ratio emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming gender considerations across all programmatic interventions.
Trends Over Time
AI Insight: Stacked column chart of population types in Peru from 2019 to 2024, where the total number of people of concern increased significantly, driven almost entirely by the ‘Others of concern’ category., This stacked column chart illustrates the composition of forcibly displaced and stateless populations in Peru, measured in thousands of people, for each year from 2019 to 2024. The horizontal axis represents the years, and the vertical axis represents the number of people.
Each column is segmented by population type. The data reveals a dramatic trend: the ‘Others of concern’ category forms the vast majority of the total population in every year shown. This segment’s size increases substantially over the period, causing the total height of the columns to grow accordingly. In contrast, the segments for other categories like ‘Refugees’ and ‘Stateless persons’ are comparatively very small, often appearing as minimal slivers at the base of the columns.
Statistically, the data is highly skewed. While the maximum number for a single population group in a given year is 1,135,215, the median is only 6,166. This highlights the overwhelming dominance of the ‘Others of concern’ group. The dataset also confirms that there were zero ‘Returned refugees’ or ‘Returned IDPs’ recorded for Peru during this period. The trend strongly reflects the impact of the Venezuelan displacement crisis, where many individuals are classified as ‘Others of concern’ in need of international protection.
AI Insight: Bar chart of population group changes in Peru from 2023 to 2024, where the Venezuelan population shows a large increase of over 91,000 people, while most other groups, including asylum-seekers and other nationalities, decreased in size., This horizontal bar chart details the absolute and percentage changes in six UNHCR population groups in Peru between 2023 and 2024.
The most significant change is a substantial increase in the number of ‘Venezuelans (other forms of stay)’, which grew by 91,593 people (+9.6%). The number of recognized ‘Refugees’ also saw a slight increase of 141 individuals (+3.1%).
In contrast, several populations decreased. The ‘Asylum-seekers’ group experienced the largest absolute reduction, shrinking by 6,210 people (-1.2%). The group of ‘Other nationalities in need of international protection’ saw the largest relative decrease, declining by 272 individuals (-16.5%). The number of ‘Returnees’ also decreased slightly by 34 people (-2.3%). The ‘Stateless’ population remained unchanged.
Overall, the data highlights a net increase in populations of concern in Peru, driven almost entirely by the continued displacement from Venezuela. The significant decrease in the asylum-seeker population may reflect case processing outcomes, onward movements, or other demographic shifts.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Peru for 2024, where one country overwhelmingly represents the largest group., This horizontal bar chart details the origins of the refugee population in Peru as of 2024, ranking the top nine countries and including an ‘Others’ category. The visualization highlights a significant concentration of refugees from a single country of origin.
Statistically, the data is highly right-skewed. The number of refugees from the top country is 4,942, while the count for the second-highest country is below 471. The number of refugees per origin country ranges from a minimum of 31 to this maximum of 4,942. The median value is 70, which is substantially lower than the mean of 674.8, further emphasizing the disproportionate impact of the top country of origin on the overall distribution. This disparity is critical for understanding the specific humanitarian context and tailoring response efforts in Peru.
Geography & Movements
Geography of Displacement: Concentrated Movements in the Americas
The complex dynamics of displacement in the Americas are sharply illustrated by Peru’s dual role as both a major host country and a country of origin for forcibly displaced populations. The data reveals highly concentrated corridors of movement, defining the humanitarian landscape both within Peru and for those departing its borders.
As a host country, Peru remains at the epicentre of one of the largest displacement crises in the world. The total forcibly displaced population it hosts has grown substantially since 2019, a trend overwhelmingly driven by the arrival of people from Venezuela, who constitute the vast majority of the over 1.66 million forcibly displaced individuals in the country. This concentration is mirrored in Peru’s recognized refugee population, where individuals from a single country of origin account for 4,942 refugees—a figure that far surpasses all other nationalities combined. Behind these stark numbers, this sustained influx places immense pressure on national protection systems and social services, highlighting the enduring impact of the regional crisis on host communities.
Simultaneously, Peru has become a significant country of origin for displaced people, with outward movements following similarly concentrated pathways. While individuals displaced from Peru are hosted in 36 countries, the distribution is exceptionally uneven. The United States of America is the primary destination, hosting 269,063 people. This constitutes a vast majority of the total population, and is significantly larger than the next nine destination countries combined. The extreme difference between the mean number of displaced Peruvians per host country (3,460) and the median (50) further underscores that a few key destinations absorb nearly the entire population.
Taken together, these trends reveal that the geography of displacement connected to Peru is not diffuse but is defined by a few critical corridors. This concentration demands targeted and robust international support for the specific host communities bearing the greatest responsibility, both within the region and further afield.
AI Insight: Choropleth map of destination countries for displaced people from Peru, where the population is highly concentrated in a few key host countries., This world map visualization details the destination countries for various populations of concern originating from Peru as of 2024, including Refugees, Asylum-seekers, and others under UNHCR’s mandate.
The statistical analysis is based on data from 36 countries hosting displaced persons from Peru. The distribution is extremely skewed, indicating a significant concentration in a few locations. The number of individuals per country ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 70,641.
The median number of displaced persons in a host country is approximately 50, while the mean is much higher at 3,460. This large difference between the median and mean underscores the uneven distribution. The quartile data further clarifies this: 75% of the host countries have 322 or fewer individuals, meaning the vast majority of the total displaced population resides in the top 25% of host countries. This pattern suggests that specific corridors, likely regional or with strong bilateral ties, are the primary destinations for those leaving Peru.
Origin of Displaced Populations
AI Insight: A horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Peru in 2024, where one country accounts for a vastly disproportionate number of refugees (4,942) compared to all others., This horizontal bar chart displays the number of refugees in Peru as of 2024, broken down by their top 9 countries of origin plus an ‘Other’ category. The data highlights a significant concentration of refugees from a single country, which accounts for 4,942 individuals. This figure is substantially higher than the other origins, creating a heavily skewed distribution. The median number of refugees across all listed origins is only 70, and 75% of the origin countries have populations below 471 people. The minimum count from a single origin is 31. The large difference between the mean (674.1) and the median (70) further underscores the powerful statistical influence of the single largest group. This data indicates that while Peru hosts refugees from diverse backgrounds, the humanitarian response is predominantly shaped by the needs of one major refugee population.
AI Insight: Alluvial chart of the origin of forcibly displaced populations in Peru from 2019 to 2025, where the total displaced population grows substantially, with people from Venezuela consistently making up the vast majority., This alluvial chart illustrates the evolution of the forcibly displaced population in Peru by country of origin for the period 2019 to 2025. The data is categorized into two groups: ‘Venezuela’ and ‘Others’.
The most significant trend shown is the dramatic increase in the total number of forcibly displaced people hosted in Peru. The visualization highlights that this growth is overwhelmingly driven by the population from Venezuela, which forms a large and expanding flow that constitutes the vast majority of the total. In contrast, the population from ‘Other’ origins represents a much smaller, relatively stable proportion throughout the years.
Statistical analysis shows a wide range in population figures, with values for a given group in a given year ranging from approximately 6,100 to over 1.66 million. The median value is 448,686, while the mean is significantly higher at 695,716, indicating that the distribution is heavily skewed by the large numbers associated with the Venezuelan population in the later years of the period. This chart visually represents a critical humanitarian situation, underscoring Peru’s role as a major host country for people displaced from Venezuela.
Destination
AI Insight: Bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Peru, where the United States of America hosts a significantly larger population than the other nine countries., This vertical bar chart illustrates the top ten destination countries for people forcibly displaced from Peru as of 2024. The data shows a highly skewed distribution, with one country hosting the vast majority of individuals. The United States of America is the primary destination, with a reported 269,063 people. The number of displaced persons in the other nine countries is substantially lower, ranging from 5,754 to 62,378. The median number of displaced people across these ten countries is 18,240, which is significantly less than the mean of 56,522, confirming the strong influence of the United States as an outlier in this dataset. The overall pattern indicates that while displacement from Peru is spread across multiple countries, the United States is the destination for a disproportionately large number of them.
