UN-Habitat Says Nearly 40% of Humanity Is Caught in a Global Housing Crisis
Nearly 40% of the world’s population—around 3 billion people—is affected by a global housing crisis, according to UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2026. The agency says the crisis spans soaring housing costs, shortages, poor-quality living conditions and inadequate access to basic urban services.
The report, released on July 9, presents housing as a global urban challenge rather than a problem confined to a single region or income group. It calls for expanded affordable housing, stronger land governance, improved planning and recognition of housing as a human right.
UN-Habitat’s findings were presented in the context of the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan. They are also being considered alongside wider international discussions about implementation of the New Urban Agenda, the United Nations framework for sustainable urban development.
A growing global deficit
The report estimates that the global housing deficit increased from 251 million units in 2010 to 288 million units in 2023. That measure reflects the gap between existing housing and the number of homes needed to meet demand and adequate living conditions; it is not a count of people experiencing homelessness.
More than 1 billion people live in informal settlements and slums, according to the report’s global estimates. These communities often face inadequate housing and limited access to basic urban services, adding pressure to cities already dealing with affordability problems and population growth.
UN-Habitat also estimates that approximately 64 million people were evicted globally between 2003 and 2023. The figure places housing insecurity in a wider context that includes not only the cost of finding a home, but also the risk of losing one.
Housing affects more than shelter
The agency links housing conditions to access to services, health, employment and economic opportunity. When homes are unaffordable, poorly located or disconnected from transport and other infrastructure, the effects can extend beyond individual households and shape how entire cities function.
The report does not apply one affordability threshold to every country. Housing markets, incomes, tenure arrangements and public-service systems differ widely, so the report’s global estimate brings together several dimensions of housing conditions rather than applying a single universal test.
That broader approach is central to the report’s argument. A city can face a housing crisis through high prices, a lack of available homes, unsafe or overcrowded living conditions, insecure tenure, or poor access to water, sanitation, transport and other services.
UN-Habitat’s proposed response
UN-Habitat recommends increasing the supply of affordable, well-located housing and expanding rental options so that cities are not dependent on one form of tenure. It also calls for improved land governance and planning reforms to help direct development toward places with access to jobs, services and infrastructure.
The report connects housing policy with climate action and resilient urban infrastructure. In practice, that means treating decisions about where and how homes are built as part of wider efforts to prepare cities for environmental pressures and maintain essential services.
The United Nations has placed the findings within a broader review of the New Urban Agenda. Secretary-General António Guterres said rising housing and basic-service costs are part of the international urban-policy challenge addressed by that review.
UN-Habitat’s central warning is that housing needs are expanding faster than current responses. With the estimated global deficit reaching 288 million units in 2023 and billions of people affected by cost, quality or service-access problems, the agency is urging governments to treat housing policy as a foundation of urban development, public well-being and economic opportunity.
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