Refugee Data Finder
A platform of socioeconomic, wellbeing and living standards statistics on forcibly displaced populations that incorporates survey-based indicators, developing standards for inclusion and aggregation producing data that will be comparable over time and across countries.
In this section
Overall objectives
Users of refugee data have expressed interest in a broad set of statistical indicators that they can find in a public online platform. Such a platform would provide UNHCR with the opportunity to consolidate existing platforms, and to ensure that data that is publicly disseminated is robust, consistent, and useful to those developing policy and programs for refugees and to progress UNHCR’s data transformation.
Activity description
UNHCR’s Global Data Service (GDS) will build an integrative platform containing socioeconomic, wellbeing and living standards statistics on the forcibly displaced. This work will comprise of the development and incorporation of survey-based indicators into the current Refugee Data Finder, the development of standards for inclusion and aggregation of indicators and the curation and inclusion of indicators.
When combined with population and resettlement data, and aligned with international statistical standards, data will be comparable over time and across countries. This consolidated data can inform programming, policy, and advocacy efforts so that a population’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals can be tracked.
Engagement with partners
The activity will be implemented by GDS, which already oversees the Refugee Data Finder and the Microdata Library. The GDS is engaged with the World Bank on UNHCR’s Microdata Library and the Forced Displacement Survey and is engaging with other development partners and exchanging information on similar undertakings.
Background and Context
UNHCR collects a wide range of data from the 137 countries that the organization works in. Efforts to make this data safely available beyond UNHCR are underway with the Microdata Library initiative.
As of November 2022, the Microdata Library included more than 540 surveys and close to 195,000 variables. However, to date, no statistics have been consistently derived from this data, such that UNHCR does not currently disseminate aggregate socioeconomic, wellbeing and living standards statistics on forcibly displaced people for external audiences.
Users of refugee data have expressed interest in a broad set of statistical indicators that they can find in a public online platform. Such a platform would provide UNHCR with the opportunity to consolidate existing platforms, and to ensure that data that is publicly disseminated is robust, consistent, and useful to those developing policy and programs for refugees and to progress UNHCR’s data transformation.
More activities
Enhancing UNHCR's global registration system
UNHCR’s development of its Population Registration and Identity Management Eco-System (PRIMES), which unifies registration, identity management and case management applications.
Forced displacement document catalogue
A tool that allows users to extract and analyze the information contained in a comprehensive body of documents published by the Multilateral Development Banks, allowing project managers and researchers to easily access information and for gaps in knowledge to be identified.
UNHCR Forced Displacement Survey
Three pilot surveys, in Cameroon, Pakistan and South Sudan of the Forced Displacement Survey, the first-of-its-kind survey programme will produce data on refugees that is multi-sectoral, comparable across countries, and fully aligned with international measurement standards.