Europe sees fewer people seeking asylum, but hosting needs remain

Germany hosted 2.66 million refugees in 2025 despite a decline. Austria's asylum application rate and the number of Albanians seeking asylum abroad also fell, though these measure different populations.

  • Germany: Hosted 2.66 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate in 2025, down 3.4%. It remained a major host, with more refugees than Türkiye's 2.39 million.
  • Austria: Averaged 8.5 first-time asylum applicants a month per 100,000 residents in the year to July 2026, below the EU average of 10.7. Its rate fell steadily over that period.
  • Albania: The number of Albanians seeking asylum abroad fell 33.5% to 7,643 in 2025, marking a third consecutive annual decline.

These figures show declines in different aspects of displacement and asylum linked to Europe, but cover different populations and periods rather than a single Europe-wide trend.