Homelessness is a serious issue that affects people all across the globe. Getting an exact image of the prevalence of homelessness is extremely challenging, as the definitions of homelessness vary from country to country. In addition, census data is typically collected by considering households. Although the data considers people receiving government aid and living in shelters, it fails to take into account the “hidden homeless.” These are the people who live in inadequate settlements, including structures not developed for housing, slums, and couch surfing with friends or families.
The last global survey to define homelessness in numbers was attempted by the United Nations in 2005, which showed around 100 million homeless people across the globe. The actual figure is expected to be a lot more than this. The World Economic Forum reported that around 150 million people are homeless across the world as of 2022. This accounts for around 2% of the world’s population. According to the UN-Habitat, around 1.6 billion people lack adequate housing as of 2022, which translates to over 20% of the world’s population.
READ NEXT: 30 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population in the World and 25 States with the Smallest Homeless Populations Per Capita in the US
Regional Trends in Homelessness Across the Globe
Homelessness affects people irrespective of their gender, age, and background. According to the UN-Habitat, around 15 million people are forcefully evicted every year across the globe, with these numbers undergoing an alarming increase in the last decade. Trends in homelessness are spread inconsistently across the globe, with even a developed nation like the US experiencing this vice. Estimates show that around 1 in every 588 Americans is homeless.
COVID-19 increased the prevalence of homelessness to alarming levels, with over 653,000 people experiencing it in the United States alone as of 2023. According to the 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, this number increased by 12% between 2022 and 2023, adding roughly 70,650 people to the list and highlighting a serious concern growing to record highs.
Observable trends in the US showed that homelessness in families with children increased by 16%, while that in individuals rose by 11%. In addition, Black people made up 50% of the total number of families with children experiencing homelessness, and 37% of all the people facing this problem. Asians and Asian Americans experienced the highest increase in homelessness, undergoing a 40% increase between 2022 and 2023 and adding around 3,313 more people to the list.
The OECD and EU countries paint similar pictures. According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), at least 2 million people in the region were estimated to be experiencing homelessness according to official government statistics in 2023 or the latest year. This number is likely to be an underestimate due to the widespread measurement challenges that affect accurate depiction.
With these trends in view, let’s look at the 25 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. For further insight, you can look at 25 States with the Largest Homeless Populations in the US and 25 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population Per Capita in the US.
Our Methodology
To compile a list of the 25 cities with the highest homeless population in the world, we sourced the most recently available data on homelessness from The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We took countries as proxies for their most populated cities and ranked our list in ascending order based on the estimated number of people experiencing homelessness as of the latest year.
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25 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population in the World
25. Ljubljana, Slovenia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,545
Ljubljana is Slovenia’s capital and most populous city. Known for its green spaces and university population, it lies on a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region. Ljubljana ranks 25th on our list.
24. Helsinki, Finland
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,686
The 24th spot on our list of the cities with the highest homeless population in the world is held by Helsinki, the capital and most populous city in Finland. The northern European country of Finland has 3,686 people experiencing homelessness as of 2023.
23. Jerusalem, Israel
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,900
Israel is a Middle Eastern country located in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Around 3,900 people in the country experienced homelessness in 2023, ranking it 23rd on our list.
22. Vilnius, Lithuania
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 4,317
Formerly known as Vilna, Vilnius is Lithuania’s capital and most populated city. It is also the second most populated city in the Baltic states. It lies at the junction of the Neris, also known as the Russian Viliya, and Vilnia rivers.
21. San Jose, Costa Rica
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 4,530
As the most populated city in Costa Rica, San Jose takes the 21st spot on our list. The country had 4,530 people experiencing homelessness as of 2023.
20. Copenhagen, Denmark
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 5,789
Copenhagen is the popular capital of Denmark and is also its most populated city. It lies on the coastal islands of Zealand and Amager. The city is connected to Malmo in southern Sweden through the Öresund Bridge.
19. Riga, Latvia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 5,997
Riga is the most populated city in not just Latvia but all of the Baltic states. It ranks 19th on our list of the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world, with around 5,997 people in the country experiencing homelessness as of 2023.
18. Seoul, Korea
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 8,469
Seoul houses more than nine million people, making it the most populous city in Korea. This huge metropolis has a landscape lined with towering skyscrapers, neon-lit streets, and historical remnants, including palaces and Buddhist temples.
17. Lisbon, Portugal
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 10,773
Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula and borders Spain. Its capital and most populous city, Lisbon, ranks on our list of the cities with the highest homeless population in the world.
16. Dublin, Ireland
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 13,179
The 16th spot on our is held by Dublin, the capital and largest city in Ireland. It lies on the country’s east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Ireland had more than 13,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2023.
15. Vienna, Austria
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 19,667
The capital of Austria and its most populated city, Vienna, lies on the Danube River, in the eastern wing of the country. The city is famous for its globally renowned residents, including Beethoven, Mozart, and Sigmund Freud.
14. Santiago, Chile
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 20,775
Also known as Santiago de Chile, Santiago is the capital of Chile, a long, narrow country located across the western edge of South America. It shares more than 6,000 kilometers of coastline with the Pacific Ocean. Santiago ranks 14th on our list.
13. Madrid, Spain
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 28,552
With more than 28,552 people experiencing homelessness in Spain, Madrid ranks 13th on our list of the cities with the highest homeless population in the world. Madrid is the capital and the most populous city in the country,
12. Warsaw, Poland
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 30,330
Officially known as the Capital City of Warsaw, Warsaw is Poland’s capital and most populous city. The metropolis lies in east-central Poland on the River Vistula. According to the Polish government, it had a population of around 1.765 million in 2017.
11. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 30,600
Informally known as Holland, the Netherlands is located in Europe’s northwestern wing. Its capital and most populous city, Amsterdam, houses the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the house where Anne Frank hid during WWII.
10. Stockholm, Sweden
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 33,269
The 10th spot on our list of the cities with the highest homeless population in the world is held by Stockholm, the capital and the most populous city in the Kingdom of Sweden. It is also the largest urban area in all the Nordic countries. More than 1.6 million people live in its urban area, while the metropolitan area houses around 2.4 million people.
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