World Cities Report 2026 released on May 20, 2026

Key facts

• The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) released the World Cities Report 2026 during the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Anacláudia Rossbach serves as the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
• The report identifies that 40% of the global population, approximately 3.4 billion people, are affected by a housing crisis involving affordability, shortages, and poor quality.
• In India, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) programme has expanded subsidised housing from 0.3% of households in 2010 to 7% in 2023, with 12 million houses sanctioned.
• The report notes that the affordable housing segment in the eight largest Indian cities declined from 52% of new builds in 2018 to 17% in 2025.