More than half the world's population currently reside in cities. However, cities are grappling with a multitude of complex issues, made more difficult by rising global urban poverty levels in the wake of COVID-19. From rising slum populations, insufficient public transport, city expansion outpacing population growth to threats to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services by disasters, it is essential that cities are equipped to adequately handle these challenges. As the world turns more urban, with nearly 70% of the global population projected to reside in cities by 2050, critical infrastructure, affordable housing, efficient transport and essential social services are crucial for creating resilient, sustainable cities for all.
Target 11.1: In 2022, 24.8% of the urban population lived in slums or slum-like conditions, slightly lower than 25% in 2015, but higher than 24.2% in 2020. The total number of slum dwellers was 1.12 billion in 2022, 130 million more than in 2015. Over 85% of slum dwellers were concentrated in Central and Southern Asia (334 million), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (362 million), and sub-Saharan Africa (265 million). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest percentage of urban population living in slums, at 53.6%. Projections suggest that sub-Saharan Africa will experience the greatest proportional increase in slum dwellers, with an additional 360 million expected by 2030. This emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address the urban housing crisis, including providing varied housing options and equitable access to basic services.
Target 11.2: Data collected in 2023 from 2,039 cities across 188 countries shows that 6 out of 10 urban residents globally have convenient public transport access, with notable gaps between developed and developing regions. In LDCs, only 4 out of 10 people have access, compared to 8 out of 10 in more developed regions. Urgent investments are needed to expand access, especially in impoverished urban areas in developed countries.
Target 11.3: Data from 1217 cities across 185 countries shows that cities are sprawling faster than they are densifying. Between 2000 and 2020, cities expanded up to 3.7 times faster than they densified. Globally, sprawl averaged 5.6% annually, while densification was only 1.5%. Despite a slight decline in sprawl rates from 2010 to 2020, they still exceeded densification rates, displacing ecologically valuable lands. Balancing people, prosperity, and the planet by 2030 requires concerted efforts to curb urban sprawl locally, sub-nationally, and nationally.
Target 11.5: On average, 104,049 critical infrastructure units and facilities were destroyed or damaged by disasters annually from 2015 to 2022. Furthermore, disasters disrupted over 1.6 million basic services, including educational and health services, each year.
Target 11.6: A comparison of air pollution five-year average before and after the development of the SDGs showed a significant decrease of 9% in fine particulate matter global levels and current alignment with the WHO Air Quality Guideline (AQG) Interim Target 1 value of 35 ug/m3.
Target 11.7: Data from 1,365 cities across 187 countries reveals that access to open public spaces is notably deficient in LDCs, where fewer than 3 in 10 people can conveniently reach such areas. Conversely, in high-performing regions like Australia and New Zealand, North America, and Europe, approximately 6 to 7 out of 10 urban residents enjoy convenient access to open public spaces, highlighting the prevalent global challenge.
Target 11.b: In 2023, local-level risk governance has improved in recent years, with 106 countries cumulatively reporting having local disaster risk reduction strategies in place and in line with national strategies. On average, 72% of the local governments in reporting countries have specified having local disaster risk reduction strategies.
