What is a Slum?

slum
n.

A heavily populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor. Often used in the plural.

After 2002 the United Nations officially defined a slum household as one that lacks any of these Five components.

* Access to improved water
Defined as access at an affordable price and without extreme effort, to sufficient amounts of water for family use.

* Access to improved sanitation
Access to a private toilet or a public toilet shared by a reasonable number of people

* Security of Tenure
Security of tenure means legal protection from eviction, either through formal title or some other enforceable agreement.

* Durability of housing
Structures must be permanent and adequate and located in a non-hazardous zone.

* Sufficient living area
Not more than three people sharing a room.

Statistics

Slum dwellers in proporation to regional urban population

Sub-Saharan Africa: 71.9%
Southern Asia: 58.0%
Latin America /Caribbean: 31.9%
Global South: 43.0%
World total: 31.6%


Number of Slum Dwellers represented in millions:

China: 178.2
India: 158.4
Brazil:51.6
Nigeria:41.6
Pakistan: 35.6
Bangladesh: 30.4
Indonesia: 20.9
Iran: 20.4
Philippines: 20.2
Turkey: 19.1