People displaced internally by natural disasters in United States
United States: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 202,000 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile
People displaced internally by natural disasters in United States, 2008–2023
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.
Analysis
United States recorded 202,000 number of cases for people displaced internally by natural disasters in 2023.
The figure is down 70.1% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in United States peaked at 2.02 million number of cases in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1,300 number of cases, in 2009.
That places United States 20th out of 146 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People displaced internally by natural disasters in United States, year by year
| Year | number of cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2.02 million number of cases | — |
| 2009 | 1,300 number of cases | -99.9% |
| 2011 | 52,000 number of cases | +3900.0% |
| 2012 | 901,000 number of cases | +1632.7% |
| 2013 | 188,000 number of cases | -79.1% |
| 2014 | 34,000 number of cases | -81.9% |
| 2015 | 63,000 number of cases | +85.3% |
| 2016 | 1.13 million number of cases | +1688.9% |
| 2017 | 1.58 million number of cases | +40.3% |
| 2018 | 1.25 million number of cases | -21.1% |
| 2019 | 916,000 number of cases | -26.5% |
| 2020 | 1.72 million number of cases | +87.2% |
| 2021 | 573,000 number of cases | -66.6% |
| 2022 | 675,000 number of cases | +17.8% |
| 2023 | 202,000 number of cases | -70.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 202,000 number of cases is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,700 number of cases, 118.8× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People displaced internally by natural disasters in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +3900.0% | 1,300 number of cases | 52,000 number of cases |
| 2016 | +1688.9% | 63,000 number of cases | 1.13 million number of cases |
| 2012 | +1632.7% | 52,000 number of cases | 901,000 number of cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.01 million number of cases | 1,300 number of cases | 2.02 million number of cases | 2 |
| 2010s | 678,778 number of cases | 34,000 number of cases | 1.58 million number of cases | 9 |
| 2020s | 791,250 number of cases | 202,000 number of cases | 1.72 million number of cases | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people displaced internally by natural disasters in United States?
- People displaced internally by natural disasters in United States was 202,000 number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2.02 million number of cases in 2008.
- What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,300 number of cases in 2009.
- How does United States rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
- United States ranks 20th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.