Population living in slums in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Population living in slums was 60.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
60.0%
Change on year
up 6.4%
Rank
2nd
of 33 groups
All-time high
66.2%
in 2002
All-time low
56.3%
in 2020
Years of data
12
2000–2022

Population living in slums in Least developed countries, 2000–2022

02040602000201120222000: 61.9 % of urban population2002: 66.2 % of urban population2004: 64.9 % of urban population2006: 63.8 % of urban population2008: 62.6 % of urban population2010: 61.4 % of urban population2012: 60.3 % of urban population2014: 59.2 % of urban population2016: 58 % of urban population2018: 57.2 % of urban population2020: 56.3 % of urban population2022: 60 % of urban population

Source: Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population living in slums in Least developed countries is 60.0%, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population living in slums in Least developed countries peaked at 66.2% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 56.3%, in 2020.

Least developed countries ranks 2nd of 33 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Population living in slums in Least developed countries, year by year

Annual values for Population living in slums (% of urban population) in Least developed countries, 2000 to 2022.
Year % of urban population Change
2000 61.9%
2002 66.2% +7.0%
2004 64.9% -2.1%
2006 63.8% -1.6%
2008 62.6% -1.9%
2010 61.4% -1.9%
2012 60.3% -1.8%
2014 59.2% -1.9%
2016 58.0% -2.0%
2018 57.2% -1.5%
2020 56.3% -1.4%
2022 60.0% +6.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 63.9% 61.9% 66.2% 5
2010s 59.2% 57.2% 61.4% 5
2020s 58.2% 56.3% 60.0% 2

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 1 South Sudan 94.2% compare
  2. 2 Mali 92.5% compare
  3. 3 Burkina Faso 87.9% compare
  4. 4 Sao Tome and Principe 82.4% compare
  5. 5 Chad 82.0% compare

See the full ranking of 207 places →

Frequently asked questions

What is population living in slums in Least developed countries?
Population living in slums in Least developed countries was 60.0% in 2022, according to Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
What is the highest population living in slums recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 66.2% in 2002.
What is the lowest population living in slums recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 56.3% in 2020.
How does Least developed countries rank for population living in slums?
Least developed countries ranks 2nd out of 33 groups with data for 2022.
Is population living in slums rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
The figures come from Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), published as part of Population living in slums (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Population living in slums in Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/population-living-in-slums-percent-of-urban-population/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/population-living-in-slums-percent-of-urban-population/least-developed-countries-un-classification/">Population living in slums in Least developed countries</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population living in slums (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
Urban Indicators Database, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
207 places, 2,376 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households. A slum household is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, housing durability, and security of tenure, as adopted in the Millennium Development Goal Target 7.D. The successor, the Sustainable Development Goal 11.1.1, considers inadequate housing (housing affordability) to complement the above definition of slums/informal settlements.