Although Europe has some of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, many European countries also have slums. According to a 2023 report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), there are six types of slums and slums in Europe, including refugee camps, Roma and other tourist settlements. There are informal settlements. non-permanent or non-residential buildings, substandard housing, low-density informal sprawl and high-density informal settlements. The report also points out that despite the existence of dedicated SDG indicators, there are significant gaps in data on informal settlements in Europe. This is because the focus is primarily on low- and middle-income countries, rather than high-income groups, which include most of Europe.
However, UN-Habitat reported in 2019 that a total of 800,000 people lived in slums and informal settlements in North America and Europe. This was a much lower figure than other regions such as Asia, where 589 million people live in such housing. The JRC report also found that as of 2022, only nine European cities/regions have submitted Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) for SDG 11.1.1. The VLR is a local government’s voluntary review of its progress on the SDG indicators in its area. In some regions, additional topics were covered based on this indicator. Barcelona, for example, reported a number of forced evictions, illegal settlements, and homes without running water. Let’s also look at the countries with the least access to clean drinking water. Finally, the report also found that only a quarter of studies used the term ‘slum’ or ‘informal settlements’ in their literature review. Most people referred to these areas as “deprived settlements or areas.”
Check out the 5 countries with the highest slum populations in Europe.
5. Romania
- Total urban population (2018): 10,515,554
- Urban population living in slums (2018): 1,523,000
- Percentage of urban population living in slums (2018): 14.4D
Romania slum of The majority of the city belongs to the Roma ethnic group, many of whom make a living by burning waste. 14.4% of the country’s urban population lives in slums, making it one of the countries with the highest slum populations in the world.
4. Spain
- Total urban population (2018): 37,588,424
- Urban population living in slums (2018): 2,907,000
- Percentage of urban population living in slums (2018): 7.8D
Spain becomes the largest slum in Europe there is. In the form of Cañada Real in Madrid. With more than 2.9 million people living in urban slums, Spain is one of the countries with the most slums in Europe.
3. Italy
- Total urban population (2018): 42,559,879
- Urban population living in slums (2018): 3,007,000
- Percentage of urban population living in slums (2018): 7.2D
In 2021, New York Times The paper said that the Italian government had decided to reform Sicily’s slums in the wake of the pandemic. The aim is to replace huts with energy-saving plots and provide better housing for slum dwellers.
2. Belarus
- Total urban population (2018): 7,418,413
- Urban population living in slums (2018): 3,358,000
- Percentage of urban population living in slums (2018): 45.2D
Russia 45.2% The urban population lives in slums, making it the second largest country on this list after Moldova. Belarus has one of the largest slum populations in Europe, which is why it ranks second on our list.
1. Ukraine
- Total urban population (2018): 30,946,609
- Urban population living in slums (2018): 5,497,000
- Percentage of urban population living in slums (2018): 18 D
Ukraine was already a European country until Russia invaded it in 2022, and was the country with the highest slum population. Since then, the housing situation for the country’s residents has only worsened. This is why Ukraine tops the list, where 18% of the urban population lives in slums.