A new United Nations report unveiled at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku warns that the global housing crisis is worsening rapidly, with nearly 40% of the world’s population living in inadequate, unsafe or unaffordable housing.
The report, World Cities Report 2026: Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action, was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) during the forum. It outlines growing challenges linked to urbanisation, climate change, displacement and housing affordability.
According to the report, up to 3.4 billion people worldwide lack access to secure, safe and adequate housing, including more than one billion people living in informal settlements and slums.
Speaking during the presentation, Benedict Arimah said 1.6 billion people currently lack adequate housing, while global housing shortages continue to grow.
“Housing problems in cities will increase even more by 2050. Only 25% of the world’s population can use mortgages to secure housing. This shows that the financial capacity of the majority of people is insufficient,” he said.
The report states that global housing deficits increased from 251 million housing units in 2010 to 288 million units in 2023.
UN-Habitat warned that conflict, natural disasters and climate-related events are accelerating displacement and placing additional strain on cities and housing systems.
According to the report, around 203 million people had been displaced from their homes by 2024, while an estimated 64 million people worldwide were evicted between 2003 and 2023.
Arimah said climate change and disasters are increasingly forcing communities to relocate, adding pressure to already overstretched urban infrastructure and services.
Anacláudia Rossbach said the housing crisis is worsening globally as millions struggle to afford homes or rent.
“People everywhere can no longer afford to buy or rent homes. People living in informal settlements are at particularly high risk,” Rossbach said.
She noted that informal settlements are often the first areas affected during natural disasters because of unsafe construction, overcrowding and weak infrastructure.
“During natural disasters, those who suffer first are the people living in informal settlements who lose their homes,” she added.
The nine-chapter report describes housing not only as shelter, but also as a central element of human well-being, economic opportunity and sustainable urban development.
UN-Habitat said access to safe and affordable housing is closely linked to employment, healthcare, education and social stability, making it essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The report also highlights the role of housing in climate resilience, calling for energy-efficient and low-carbon urban development, resilient infrastructure and more inclusive urban planning approaches.
It urges governments and international stakeholders to treat housing as a human right and accelerate investment in affordable, sustainable and climate-resilient urban communities.
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