Baku, Azerbaijan | UN-Habitat will officially launch its flagship publication, World Cities Report 2026: Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action, during the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum 13. The report is expected to become one of the most significant global references on the growing housing emergency affecting urban populations worldwide.
According to the report, nearly 3 billion people, representing close to 40 percent of the global population, are currently impacted by inadequate housing conditions. The findings reveal a sharp rise in housing shortages, which have increased by 30 percent in just over a decade, reaching more than 268 million housing units globally. Additionally, around 1.1 billion people continue to live in slums or informal settlements lacking basic urban services and infrastructure.
Released under the WUF13 theme, “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities,” the report highlights how rapid urbanization, climate change, increasing land prices and widening socio-economic inequalities are placing unprecedented pressure on housing systems across cities. The report further warns that cities are expected to accommodate nearly 2 billion additional residents by 2050, while climate-related disasters could destroy approximately 167 million homes by 2040.
The publication calls for urgent and coordinated global action through inclusive housing policies, stronger domestic public investment in affordable and social housing, and greater participation of local communities in urban policy-making and implementation processes. The report also emphasizes the need for resilient urban planning strategies capable of addressing both social inequality and climate vulnerability.
The launch event will take place on 19 May 2026 at the Media Hub of the Baku Olympic Stadium and will feature senior representatives, researchers and urban experts from across the world. Speakers include Anacláudia Rossbach, Benedict Arimah, Carol Dean Archer, Marie Huchzermeyer and Sahar Attia.
Urban experts attending WUF13 are expected to use the report as a framework for discussions on affordable housing, sustainable urbanization and resilient city development, particularly for rapidly growing cities in developing countries.
Source: UN-Habitat
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