It’s estimated that about two percent of the world’s population is homeless. Two percent — it doesn’t sound like much, but when you do the math, that’s nearly 154 million people living on the street, in temporary dwellings, at refugee camps, and in other transitory and often dangerous conditions. Aside from these homelessness statistics, another billion people currently live without adequate shelter, and by 2050, it’s believed that number will reach close to three billion.
In reality, it’s likely that the number of homeless people around the world is even higher than the data suggests. Homelessness statistics, as it turns out, are incredibly difficult to come by, and the last time a global survey was even attempted was in 2005 by the United Nations. For such a prevalent problem, the lack of accurate information — especially from developing nations — presents a serious roadblock in the search for solutions.
