How many employees work at UNHCR?
UNHCR has approximately 14,065 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. UNHCR’s total headcount has declined 17.1% from 16,976 employees in 2023 to 14,065 in 2026.
Is UNHCR hiring right now?
Yes, UNHCR is actively hiring. UNHCR had 309 active job postings in 2026, a 144.3% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About UNHCR’s Workforce
UNHCR is a Humanitarian Services company that employs 14,065 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 17.1% from 2023 to 2026, down 9.7% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 14,065 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Sub-Saharan Africa (37.2%), followed by Arab States (12.0%) and South Asia (11.8%).
UNHCR's functional groups are Finance and Operations (43.1%), Engineering (39.5%), and Sales and Marketing (17.5%). The average salary is $21,159, ranging from a median of $76,000 in Western Europe to $5,000 in South Asia, down 0.8% year over year in 2026.
UNHCR's active job postings rose 144.3% in 2026 to 309, with new postings per month cooling from 943 in 2023 to 425 in 2026.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Founded
- 1950
- Industry
- Humanitarian Services
- Employees
- 14,065
- YoY
- -9.7% (-1,960)
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 14,065 employees in 2026, a 9.7% decline (-1,960) from 2025.
- UNHCR had 14,195 employees in 2025, a 11.4% decline (-2,339) from 2024.
- UNHCR had 16,534 employees in 2024, a 2.2% decline (-429) from 2023.
- UNHCR had 16,963 employees in 2023, a 1.3% decline (+222) from 2022.
UNHCR's total workforce has declined from 16,976 employees in 2023 to 14,065 in 2026.
UNHCR quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 14,065 | -1,960 | -9.7% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 14,195 | -2,339 | -11.4% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 14,639 | -2,190 | -10.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 15,212 | -1,580 | -7.6% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 16,025 | -887 | -4.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 16,534 | -429 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 16,829 | -379 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 16,792 | -184 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 16,912 | +106 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 16,963 | +222 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 17,208 | +478 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 16,976 | +593 | -0.2% |
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 Arab States and South Asia.
UNHCR employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5,177 | 37.2% |
| Arab States | 1,667 | 12.0% |
| South Asia | 1,640 | 11.8% |
| North Africa | 924 | 6.6% |
| Western Europe | 899 | 6.5% |
| Eastern Europe | 803 | 5.8% |
| Southeast Asia | 468 | 3.4% |
| South America | 393 | 2.8% |
| Central and Western Asia | 388 | 2.8% |
| Southern Europe | 363 | 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 (43.1%), Engineering (39.5%), and Sales and Marketing (17.5%).
UNHCR employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 6,016 | 43.1% |
| Engineering | 5,515 | 39.5% |
| Sales and Marketing | 2,442 | 17.5% |
Compare UNHCR's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataUNHCR Employee Salary by Region (2026)
UNHCR's average employee salary is $21,159 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 3.6x 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 | $56,000 |
| East Asia | $31,000 |
| Southern Europe | $30,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $20,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $17,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $16,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $13,000 |
| South America | $12,000 |
| Arab States | $12,000 |
| North Africa | $9,000 |
| Sub-Saharan 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 309 active job postings in 2026, a 144.3% increase (+259) from 2025.
- UNHCR had 50 active job postings in 2025, a 179.2% decline (-862) from 2024.
- UNHCR had 912 active job postings in 2024, a 42.4% increase (+319) from 2023.
- UNHCR had 593 active job postings in 2023, a 31.9% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 425 new roles/month, up from 298 in 2025 and 541 in 2024.
UNHCR's active job postings rose 144.3% in 2026 to 309, with new postings per month cooling from 943 in 2023 to 425 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 9.7% to 14,065 employees, down from 16,025 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 Arab States and South Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at UNHCR?
- The average employee salary at UNHCR is approximately $21.2k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does UNHCR open per year?
- In Q1 2026, UNHCR opened 1,276 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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