Description

A smaller proportion of urban dwellers live in slums, but their total number has risen to 827 000 000

Since 1990, the share of the urban population living in slums in the developing world has declined significantly, dropping from 46% in 1990 to 33% in 2010. This decrease shows that many efforts to give inhabitants of slums access to improved water or sanitation, and/or more durable housing have been successful. On the other hand, the absolute number of people living in slums has increased by 26% over the same period, equaling 171 million additional people and raising their number from 656 million in 1990 to 827 million in 2010. “Redoubled efforts will be needed to improve the lives of the growing numbers of urban poor in cities and metropolises across the developing world” (UN 2011b).

This graphic is part of the publication Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment.

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