Informal Settlements

Global Informal Settlement Concentration

New Urban Communities

Informal settlements are urban environments that fall outside of government control, regulation, and protection, traditionally known as ‘slums.’ Informal settlements are the fastest growing aspect of urban life in the 21st century.

While only three percent of the global urban population in 1950, informal settlements will make up half urban populations in 2050. Informal settlements can be places of poverty and need but also places of human ingenuity and cultural mixing. New forms of urban community will be created in these informal contexts.

Informal settlements are the fastest growing aspect of urban life.

The highest concentration of informal settlements are found in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Central and Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have the largest proportion of their urban population living in slums.

Informal settlements are growing fastest in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, and more slowly in Asia. In certain East Asia contexts, informal settlements are shrinking. Informal settlements are not just growing in population but also expanding in size and geography. They are constantly adapting to population influx, sporadic government interventions, resource availability, and the consequences of climate change.

Urban Settlements 1950-2050

Urban VS Informal Populations 2018