Facts and figures from the SDG special report launched 10 July 2023
SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

📚While the proportion of urban population living in slums declined slightly, from 25.4% to 24.2% between 2014 and 2020, the total number of slum dwellers continues to rise with increasing urbanization.
📚As of 2020, nearly 1.1 billion people lived in slums or slum-like conditions in urban areas, with an additional 2 billion expected to live in slums or slum-like conditions over next 30 years.
📚Today, 85 per cent of slum dwellers are concentrated in three regions: Central and Southern Asia (359 million), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (306 million) and sub-Saharan Africa (230 million).
📚Data from 2022 reveal that only 51.6% of the global urban population has convenient access to public transport, with considerable regional differences.
📚In the developing world, an estimated 1 billion people still lack access to all-weather roads.
📚Global cities expanded physically faster than their population growth rates, with average annual land consumption rates of 2.0% compared to population growth rates of 1.6% from 2000 to 2010, and 1.5% compared to 1.2% respectively from 2010 to 2020, according to data from 681 cities between 1990 and 2020.
📚Globally, air quality is improving, largely due to advancements in high-income countries. Although cities have traditionally been the focus of air pollution reduction policies, air quality in towns and rural areas should also be considered. In 2019, towns in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, a region with a significant proportion of the world’s population, experienced poorer air quality than cities.
📚In 2020, data from 1,072 cities in 120 countries indicate that more than 75% of these cities have less than 20% of their area dedicated to open public spaces and streets, about half of the proportion recommended.
📚On average, open public spaces account for a meagre 3.2% of urban land, about 4 times less than the share of land in streets.
📚The number of countries with national disaster risk reduction strategies has increased from 55 in 2015 to 126 by the end of 2022. By the end of 2022, 102 countries reported having local governments with disaster risk reduction strategies, an increase from 51 countries in 2015.

📚📚📚📚📚Where do we stand?

📚Over half (55%) living in urban areas, a figure projected to rise to 70% by 2050. Most of the urban growth is taking place in small cities and intermediate towns, exacerbating inequalities and urban poverty.
📚Moreover, climate change and conflicts disproportionately affect cities, hindering progress of achieving the goal of sustainable cities
📚In many developing countries, slum populations have been growing, putting at risk the target of adequate housing for all by 2030.
📚In 2022, only half of the world’s urban population had convenient access to public transportation.
📚Urban sprawl, air pollution and limited open public spaces persist in cities.
📚Since 2015, the number of countries with national and local disaster risk disaster risk reduction strategies has more than doubled.


The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition provides a powerful call to action, presenting a candid assessment of the SDGs based on the latest data and estimates. While highlighting the existing gaps and urging the world to redouble its efforts, the report also emphasizes the immense potential for success through strong political will and the utilization of available technologies, resources, and knowledge. Together, the global community can reignite progress towards achieving the SDGs and create a brighter future for all.

According to the report, the impacts of the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, a weak global economy, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed weaknesses and hindered progress towards the Goals. The report further warns that while lack of progress is universal, it is the world’s poorest and most vulnerable who are experiencing the worst effects of these unprecedented global challenges. It also points out areas that need urgent action to rescue the SDGs and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition is the only UN official report that monitors global progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Using the latest available data and estimates, the report provides a comprehensive midpoint assessment of the 2030 Agenda, highlighting not only impacts of multiple crises affecting people's lives and livelihoods, but also areas of progress where acceleration is needed. This annual SDG Report is prepared by UN DESA, in collaboration with the entire UN Statistical System, consisting of more than 50 international and regional agencies, based on data from over 200 countries and territories.

Alarming trends in land degradation call for urgent action to restore the Earth

Between 2015 and 2019, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded every year, affecting food and water security globally. The loss is equivalent to twice the size of Greenland, impacting the lives of 1.3 billion people, who are estimated to be directly exposed to land degradation. Human activities like urban expansion, deforestation and grassland conversion, coupled with climate change are direct drivers of land degradation worldwide.
Demographic and economic trends, governance challenges, and technology and investment gaps also contribute indirectly. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Southern Asia experienced land degradation at rates faster than the global average. If current trends continue, restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land
by 2030 will be necessary to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world.

Alternatively, halting any new land degradation and accelerating existing commitments to restore 1 billion hectares can surpass the neutrality target. Land and ecosystem restoration offer cost-effective solutions to address climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, and disaster impacts. To this end, governments, businesses and communities
must collaborate to conserve natural areas, scale up nature-positive food production and develop green urban areas, infrastructure and supply chains.