How many employees work at UNHCR?
UNHCR has approximately 16,488 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. UNHCR’s total headcount has declined 19.5% from 20,486 employees in 2023 to 16,488 in 2026.
Is UNHCR hiring right now?
Yes, UNHCR is actively hiring. UNHCR had 310 active job postings in 2026, a 144.4% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About UNHCR’s Workforce
UNHCR is a Humanitarian Services company that employs 16,488 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 3rd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1950, the company is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..
UNHCR's workforce has declined 19.5% from 2023 to 2026, down 10.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 16,488 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Sub-Saharan Africa (37.2%), followed by South Asia (12.3%) and Arab States (11.5%).
UNHCR's functional groups are Finance and Operations (42.7%), Engineering (40.0%), and Sales and Marketing (17.4%). The average salary is $20,711, ranging from a median of $76,000 in Western Europe to $5,000 in South Asia, down 0.5% year over year in 2026.
UNHCR's active job postings rose 144.4% in 2026 to 310, with new postings per month cooling from 943 in 2023 to 426 in 2026.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Founded
- 1950
- Industry
- Humanitarian Services
- Employees
- 16,488
- YoY
- -10.8% (-2,574)
As of March 2026
UNHCR workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for UNHCR. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsUNHCR Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- UNHCR had 16,488 employees in 2026, a 10.8% decline (-2,574) from 2025.
- UNHCR had 16,666 employees in 2025, a 12.8% decline (-3,118) from 2024.
- UNHCR had 19,784 employees in 2024, a 3.0% decline (-698) from 2023.
- UNHCR had 20,482 employees in 2023, a 1.6% decline (+295) from 2022.
UNHCR's total workforce has declined from 20,486 employees in 2023 to 16,488 in 2026.
UNHCR quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 16,488 | -2,574 | -10.8% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 16,666 | -3,118 | -12.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 17,260 | -2,952 | -11.8% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 17,974 | -2,218 | -9.0% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 19,062 | -1,329 | -5.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 19,784 | -698 | -3.0% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 20,212 | -565 | -3.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 20,192 | -294 | -2.7% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 20,391 | +144 | -1.9% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 20,482 | +295 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 20,777 | +604 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 20,486 | +787 | -0.5% |
See UNHCR's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataUNHCR Employee Count by Region (2026)
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest share of UNHCR's global workforce with approximately 37% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Arab States.
UNHCR employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 6,055 | 37.2% |
| South Asia | 2,012 | 12.3% |
| Arab States | 1,873 | 11.5% |
| North Africa | 1,141 | 7.0% |
| Western Europe | 1,029 | 6.3% |
| Eastern Europe | 922 | 5.7% |
| Southeast Asia | 593 | 3.6% |
| South America | 468 | 2.9% |
| Central and Western Asia | 451 | 2.8% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 425 | 2.6% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataUNHCR Employee Count by Department (2026)
UNHCR's employee groups are Finance and Operations (42.7%), Engineering (40.0%), and Sales and Marketing (17.4%).
UNHCR employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 7,007 | 42.7% |
| Engineering | 6,558 | 40.0% |
| Sales and Marketing | 2,849 | 17.4% |
Compare UNHCR's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataUNHCR Employee Salary by Region (2026)
UNHCR's average employee salary is $20,711 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 3.7x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $5,000.
UNHCR median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $76,000 |
| North America | $68,000 |
| Northern Europe | $63,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $58,000 |
| Southern Europe | $29,000 |
| East Asia | $29,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $20,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $17,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $16,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $13,000 |
| Arab States | $12,000 |
| South America | $11,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $8,000 |
| North Africa | $8,000 |
| South Asia | $5,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to UNHCR's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataUNHCR Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- UNHCR had 310 active job postings in 2026, a 144.4% increase (+260) from 2025.
- UNHCR had 50 active job postings in 2025, a 179.2% decline (-863) from 2024.
- UNHCR had 913 active job postings in 2024, a 42.5% increase (+320) from 2023.
- UNHCR had 593 active job postings in 2023, a 31.9% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 426 new roles/month, up from 298 in 2025 and 541 in 2024.
UNHCR's active job postings rose 144.4% in 2026 to 310, with new postings per month cooling from 943 in 2023 to 426 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About UNHCR
- How fast is UNHCR growing?
- In 2026, UNHCR's headcount shrank 10.8% to 16,488 employees, down from 19,062 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are UNHCR employees located?
- Most UNHCR employees are based in Sub-Saharan Africa (37.2% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Arab States.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at UNHCR?
- The average employee salary at UNHCR is approximately $20.7k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does UNHCR open per year?
- In Q1 2026, UNHCR opened 1,277 new job postings. In 2025, UNHCR opened 3,581 new job postings — about 298 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was UNHCR founded and where is it headquartered?
- UNHCR was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..
- Compare UNHCR to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about UNHCR.
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