Estimates for 2025 from the World Population Review show significant differences in homelessness across African countries, both in total numbers and relative to population size.

While some countries face immense challenges in total numbers, others experience severe pressures relative to their populations.

The table below summarizes the estimated homeless populations, total populations, and the number of homeless individuals per 10,000 residents, highlighting both the absolute and relative burden of homelessness.

In Nigeria, Lagos exemplifies this challenge. Neighbourhoods such as Oshodi, Ajegunle, Ketu, Shomolu, and Obalende are home to individuals living on the streets, under bridges, or in informal clusters, often due to unaffordable rents and migration from neighbouring states in search of better opportunities.

Waterfront settlements like Makoko feature stilt houses where families reside without secure tenure or access to basic sanitation. Similar patterns of street homelessness and overcrowded informal housing are observed in other major Nigerian cities, including Abuja and Kano.

In Uganda, Kampala accommodates the largest urban homeless population, with street-living communities concentrated near bus terminals, marketplaces, and peri-urban neighbourhoods due to internal migration and limited affordable housing.

Similarly, Khartoum and surrounding towns in Sudan experience high levels of homelessness linked to economic instability and displacement.

In Egypt, dense informal districts on the outskirts of Cairo and Alexandria, such as Ezbet El Haggana, reflect widespread housing precarity, with residents living in self-built homes lacking infrastructure and services.

In DR Congo, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi host populations in sprawling informal neighbourhoods, while Mogadishu in Somalia faces high homelessness resulting from prolonged conflict and displacement.

Zimbabwe’s Harare and Bulawayo contain street populations intertwined with informal settlements.

Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso has concentrated homelessness among displaced and economically marginalized populations.

Maputo in Mozambique and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia both have expanding informal settlements on city fringes, where rural-to-urban migrants and low-income residents face precarious living conditions.

Homelessness in African cities is driven by rapid urbanization, inadequate housing, economic inequality, conflict, and environmental pressures. However, the consequences are most acutely felt by children, who represent a highly vulnerable group among the homeless.

According to UNICEF, many children engage in hazardous street work, such as navigating traffic to sell goods, while others are forced into illegal activities, including theft, commercial sex, drug trafficking, or organized begging.

These children are often arrested for vagrancy or minor offenses and may be detained in unsafe conditions, where they are exposed to extortion, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and even death.

Girls are particularly at risk, and children may be coerced to pay bribes for their release.

These circumstances underscore the urgent need for protective measures and child-focused interventions to safeguard their rights and well-being.

Global Perspective and Lessons for Africa

Homelessness is a global challenge, affecting both developed and developing countries. While nations in Europe, North America, and Asia implement policies such as affordable housing programs, social support networks, and emergency shelters, African countries face unique pressures from rapid urbanization, economic inequality, and conflict.

Learning from international approaches while tailoring solutions to local contexts can help reduce vulnerability, protect the most at-risk populations, and promote sustainable urban development across the continent (Business Insider Africa)

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