Urban Population Living in Slums

Percentage of urban residents living in households lacking one or more of: (1) durable housing, (2) sufficient living space (max 3 persons per room), (3) access to improved water, (4) access to improved sanitation, (5) secure tenure. Based on household surveys (DHS, MICS) using UN-Habitat's operational definition. Calculated as slum household count divided by total urban households, multiplied by 100.

Slum population is SDG Indicator 11.1.1 and a critical measure of urban inequality and inadequate housing. Slum residents face health risks from overcrowding, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and insecure land tenure. Tracking this metric helps governments prioritize slum upgrading programs, affordable housing initiatives, and basic service delivery in informal settlements. Nearly 1.1 billion people lived in slums in 2022, and without intervention, 3 billion could live in slums by 2050.

Very Low: < 5% (minimal informal settlements - most high-income countries) Low: 5-15% (limited slums - effective urban planning, social housing) Moderate: 15-30% (significant slum population - urban planning gaps) High: 30-50% (major slum burden - half of urban residents in inadequate housing) Very High: > 50% (severe crisis - majority of urban dwellers in slums) SDG Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums Global average: 24.8% (2022) - 1.12 billion people Regional hotspots: Sub-Saharan Africa (56%), Central/Southern Asia (31%), Eastern/South-Eastern Asia (25%)

Coverage: ~150 countries (from household surveys) Update frequency: Irregular (DHS/MICS every 3-5 years, national census every 10 years) Source: UN Data / UN-Habitat Urban Indicators Database / World Bank Limitations: "Slum" is a proxy term - officially called "informal settlements" or "inadequate housing". Definitions vary by country. Rural areas with similar deprivations not captured. Secure tenure is hardest to measure objectively. Many governments undercount slums due to political sensitivity. Does not measure degree of inadequacy - a household lacking only one criterion is counted same as one lacking all five.