UN-Habitat's World Cities Report 2026 tallies the global housing deficit at 288 million units in 2023, up from 251 million in 2010, and estimates 64 million people were displaced from informal settlements by urban development processes between 2003 and 2023. Its prescription: compact, connected, climate-resilient planning reform - because buildings carry roughly 34% of global energy use and 37% of CO₂ emissions, housing policy is climate policy.
UN-Habitat, 2026