The right to housing encompasses the right to a safe and secure home in a community where dignity is upheld. Consult the OHCHR Toolkit on the Right to Housing for an explanation of all the elements of this right.
Data on housing quality and access to essential services for urban and rural households for many countries can be found through ICF-Macro’s Demographic and Health Surveys, UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, and the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study data repositories. UN Habitat aggregates government data on cities, but not rural or ex-urban housing.
Data on habitability includes the proportion of the population with sufficient living space, in permanent structures in compliance with building codes, or living near hazardous conditions. Data on housing affordability includes development assistance for housing as a proportion of public expenditure and the proportion of households spending more than a certain percent of their income on housing. Data on security of tenure encapsulate housing-related disputes, numbers of evictions or displaced persons, and the proportion of women with titles to land or property. Data related to accessibility of services includes the percentage of the population with access to improved sanitation or water, and the share of public expenditure on the provision and maintenance of sanitation, water, and electricity.