In this article, we will look at the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. You can skip our detailed discussion of homelessness across the globe and go directly to 5 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population in the World.
Homelessness Across the Globe: An Overview
Homelessness is a significant humanitarian concern across the globe. Although the exact number of homeless people around the globe is tricky to estimate, the World Economic Forum estimates that around 150 million people were homeless in 2021, which amounts to around 2% of the world’s population. The United Nations also documented that there are approximately 1.6 billion people with poor housing conditions worldwide, with about 15 million people forcibly evicted every year.
COVID-19 increased this number to alarming levels, with the United States alone having over 653,000 people experiencing homelessness in 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.
Almost every city in the world has people who sleep on benches, roads, or parks because homelessness affects people regardless of age, race, and gender. However, there are certain observable trends. Homelessness in families with children increased by 16% in the US, 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.
READ ALSO: 25 States with the Smallest Homeless Populations Per Capita in the US and 25 States with the Largest Homeless Populations in the US.
Homelessness: Causes and Remedies
Some of the primary reasons behind the rise in homelessness are increasing rents and a decrease in affordable housing. A report released by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies revealed that nearly 50% of all renters in the US faced unaffordable housing in 2022. It also showed that median rent in 2022 was 21% higher than in 2001, whereas renters’ income increased by only 2% in the same time period. The increasing gaps between income and housing costs have caused more and more households to struggle with housing affordability. The number of renters spending more than 30% of their total income on house rent and utilities reached a record 22.4 million in 2022. Climate change is another prominent reason behind growing homelessness across the world, with people living in regions prone to natural disasters finding it increasingly hard to grapple with the drastic outcomes.
In contrast, developed nations such as the United States are undertaking efforts to tackle the growing homelessness in the country and offer resources to increase the availability of affordable housing options. American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH), also known as AMH, is a prominent example. This American real estate investment trust (REIT) manages the renovation, leasing, acquisition, and management of single-family homes, renting them out as residential properties.
The company plays a crucial role in providing adequate housing options to combat homelessness, and owned 52,552 homes in 22 states in 2019. Its major establishments are concentrated in North Carolina, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Operating since 2012, the company now manages more than 60,000 rentals across the US, offering a roof to approximately 200,000 people. AMH specializes in simplifying the leasing experience with maintenance support and professional management.
On July 10, the company announced its official 10,000th home built, promoting high-quality housing options in the US through this benchmark. It also has a land pipeline of more than 10,000 lots standing at various developmental stages, ranging from raw land to areas entitled to vertical construction. AMH also announced that its research indicated a trend where a majority of renters prioritize amenities and space. By employing such observable trends in its developmental capabilities, the company is constantly evolving its homes according to rental preferences. It reported that its functioning is set to deliver around 2,200-2,400 additional homes by this year.
With companies like American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH) committed to positively contributing to the American housing landscape, constructive efforts are underway to tackle the country’s growing homelessness.
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With that, let’s take a look at the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. You can also look at 25 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population Per Capita in the US for more insight.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Our Methodology
To compile a list of the 30 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 of the estimated number of people experiencing homelessness as of their latest year.
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30 Cities with the Highest Homeless Population in the World
30. Tallinn, Estonia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 1,068
Tallinn ranks 30th on our list of the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. It is the capital and most populated city in Estonia, a northern European country that borders the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. It had around 1,068 people experiencing homelessness in 2023.
29. Reykjavik, Iceland
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 1,272
Iceland is a Nordic island country located between the Arctic and the North Atlantic oceans. Its capital and most populated city, Reykjavik, ranks 29th on our list. The country had around 1,272 homeless people as of 2023.
28. Athens, Greece
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 1,387
Athens, the famous capital of Greece, ranks 28th on our list. The city is famous for its location at the heart of ancient Greece and boasts awe-inspiring historical landmarks that line its landscape. However, the city also has a substantial homeless population.
27. Tokyo, Japan
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,065
With more than nine million inhabitants, Tokyo is the largest city in Japan. The bustling, neon-lit city is famous for its amalgamation of towering skyscrapers and historical remnants. It ranks 27th on our list.
26. Oslo, Norway
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,325
Norway is a scenic Scandinavian country located in northern Europe that occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula. Around two-thirds of the country is mountainous, with the rest dotted with glaciers, greenery, and deep coastal fjords. Its most populated city, Oslo, ranks 26th on our list.
25. Ljubljana, Slovenia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 3,545
Ljubljana is the capital and most populous city in Slovenia, a Central European country. 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 the capital and most populated city in Lithuania. It is also the second most populated city in the Baltic states, and is located 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, and 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 that lies 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 the capital and most populous city in Poland. The metropolis lies in east-central Poland on the River Vistula and had a population of around 1.765 million in 2017, according to the Polish government.
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.
9. Bogota, Colombia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 34,091
The high-altitude, sprawling city of Bogota is the capital and most populous city of Colombia. The country has around 34,091 people experiencing homelessness as of 2018, its most recently available number.
8. Toronto, Canada
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 40,713
The capital of the Canadian province of Ontario, Toronto ranks eighth on our list of the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. Located along the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto is a metropolis with a combination of soaring skyscrapers and dynamic constructions.
7. Bratislava, Slovakia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 71,076
More than 71,000 people experienced homelessness in the Slovak Republic in 2023, highlighting this serious problem in the country. Bratislava, its capital and most populous city, ranks seventh on our list.
6. Rome, Italy
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 96,197
The famous capital of Italy, Rome, ranks sixth on our list. Rome is also the capital of the Lazio region and is the center of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. Located on the Tiber River, its landscape is dotted with historical remnants dating back several centuries.
5. Auckland, New Zealand
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 102,123
Auckland is the capital and most populous city in the country, making up more than 32% of the country’s total population. New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Auckland ranks fifth on our list.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 104,818
Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” Prague is the most populous city and capital city of the Czech Republic and is the historical capital of Bohemia. The Czech Republic had around 104,818 people experiencing homelessness in 2023.
3. Sydney, Australia
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 122,494
The third spot on our list of the 30 cities with the world’s highest homeless population is Sydney, the capital and most populous city in Australia. It is also the capital of New South Wales and had a population of more than 5 million people in 2019.
2. Berlin, Germany
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 262,600
Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany, both by population and area. It houses around 3.645 million people as of 2019, according to estimates by Eurostat. Berlin’s historical standing dates back to the 13th century, with remnants of its turbulent past dotting the city. It ranks second on our list.
1. Paris, France
Estimated Number of People Experiencing Homelessness: 333,000
Paris, the capital of France and the fashion capital of the world, ranks first on our list of the 30 cities with the highest homeless population in the world. The city is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous cities in the world, and yet expensive housing and the widening gap between income and affordability have riddled its streets with homeless people. Located along the Seine River, Paris houses more than 2 million people and is the largest city in France. It also holds cultural, economic, and artistic significance across the globe, making it one of the most important European cities.
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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.
