Most Lebanese have unfavorable views of refugees; Syrians are exception % in Lebanon who have unfavorable views ofrefugees the in their country
Lebanon – the country where views of diversity were most negative – has been heavily affected in recent years by Syrian refugees. It is the country that hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees per capita, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), having taken in around 1 million refugees in a country with fewer than 7 million people.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown restrictions placed on Syrian refugees in Lebanon, public sentiment about refugees in Lebanon was largely negative: a 70% majority had an unfavorable view of refugees, including 41% who had very unfavorable opinions. Though age, education and income levels all played a role in views of refugees, majorities across each of these demographic groups held negative opinions. And when it came to religion, Sunni Muslims (60%) were less likely to have unfavorable opinions of refugees than Shiite Muslims (71%) or Christians (83%).
Most Lebanese have unfavorable views  | of refugees; Syrians are exception  | % in Lebanon who have unfavorable views ofrefugees  | the in their country  | Total  | 70%  | Lebanese  | 74  | nationality  | Syrian  | 8  | nationality  | Ages 18 29  | 68  | 30-49  | 67  | 50+  | 76  | Less education  | 67  | More educa tion  | 75  | Below median  | 66  | income  | Above median  | 77  | income  | Note: For the purpose of comparing education groups across  | countries, we standardize education levels based on the United  | Nations' international Standard Classification of Educa ton. In all  | nations surveyed, the lower education category is below secondary  | education and the higher category is secondary or above.  | Source: Q39LEBnatb. Mobile Technology and Its Social Impact Survey 2018.  | Q39LEBnatb.  | "Attitudes Toward Diversity in 11 Emerging Economies"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 