In 2023, a staggering 110 million individuals endured forced displacement due to persecution, conflict, and violence. They faced formidable challenges, including trauma and hunger. Globally, refugee hosting is extremely unequal. Low- and middle-income countries host 76 percent of the world’s refugee population. Among the ten countries hosting the most refugees, only Germany qualifies as high income under World Bank classifications.

This inequality has large implications. Economically, host countries may lack the resources and infrastructure to support refugee communities, and hosting can strain food supplies, natural resources, and public services, potentially leading to political backlash.

A new study co-authored by SIS Professor Austin Davis in the American Economic Association's Papers and Proceedings journal uses original and existing data to explore whether inequality in refugee hosting also exists within countries, focusing on the location of Rohingya refugee camps within Bangladesh. The authors find that the district hosting refugees was economically deprived compared to the national average and that, within the host district, the microregions closest to refugee camps were disadvantaged relative to other microregions. The findings underscore the importance of considering host communities in the coordination of humanitarian responses to refugee crises to prevent economic hardship and political backlash.

Read the article here.