Social indicators

Indicators on housing
Last update: Dec 2007
Country or area
Aruba
1991
0.7
...
...
Austria
1997
0.7
0.7
0.7
Azerbaijan
1998
2.1
1.9
2.3
Bahamas
1990
1.3
1.3
1.1
Belgium
1991
0.6
...
0.6
Bermuda
1991
0.6
0.6
...
Bolivia
1988
...
1.7
a
...
Brazil
1998
0.7
0.7
0.8
Bulgaria
1992
1.0
1.2
0.8
Cameroon
1976
1.2
1.2
1.3
Canada
1996
0.5
0.5
0.5
China, Macao SAR
1996
1.1
...
...
Colombia
1993
1.4
1.3
1.7
Costa Rica
1997
0.9
0.8
1.0
Croatia
1991
1.2
...
...
Cuba
1981
1.0
1.0
1.0
Cyprus
1992
0.6
b
0.6
b
0.7
b
Czech Republic
1991
1.0
1.1
1.0
Egypt
1996
1.3
1.3
1.4
Finland
1998
0.8
0.8
1.0
France
1990
0.7
0.7
0.7
French Guiana
1990
1.1
1.1
1.5
Gambia
1993
1.5
1.3
1.6
Germany
1987
0.5
c
0.5
c
0.5
c
Guadeloupe
1990
0.9
d
0.9
d
0.9
d
Guam
1990
0.8
0.7
0.8
Honduras
1988
2.2
e
1.8
e
2.6
e
Hungary
1990
0.8
0.8
0.8
India
1981
2.7
d,f,g
2.6
d,f,g
2.8
d,f,g
Iraq
1987
1.5
1.8
1.0
Israel
1983
1.2
...
...
Japan
1978
0.8
h
0.8
h
0.7
h
Korea, Republic of
1995
1.1
1.2
0.9
Kuwait
1985
1.7
i
...
...
Lesotho
1996
2.1
...
...
Martinique
1990
0.9
d
0.9
d
0.9
d
Mauritius
1990
1.2
1.1
1.3
Mexico
1995
...
...
1.4
j
...
Netherlands
1998
0.7
0.6
0.6
New Caledonia
1989
1.2
d
1.1
d
1.4
d
New Zealand
1991
0.5
k
0.5
k
0.5
k
Nicaragua
1995
2.6
2.2
3.1
Norway
1990
0.6
0.6
0.6
Pakistan
1998
3.0
l
2.8
l
3.1
l
Panama
1990
1.6
1.4
1.9
Peru
1990
2.0
1.9
2.4
Poland
1995
1.0
0.9
1.1
Portugal
1991
0.7
0.7
0.7
Puerto Rico
1990
0.7
0.6
0.7
Reunion
1990
1.0
1.0
0.9
Romania
1992
1.3
k,m
1.3
k,m
1.2
k,m
San Marino
1991
0.7
0.7
0.8
Serbia and Montenegro
1991
1.2
3.1
3.3
Slovakia
1991
1.2
1.2
1.2
Sri Lanka
1981
2.2
2.3
2.1
Sweden
1990
0.5
0.5
0.5
Switzerland
1990
0.6
0.6
0.6
Syrian Arab Republic
1994
2.0
1.8
2.3
Turkey
1994
1.3
1.3
1.4
United Kingdom
1996
0.5
0.5
0.4
United States
1997
0.5
0.5
0.5
US Virgin Islands
1990
0.6
n
...
...
Uruguay
1996
1.0
1.0
1.0

Sources:

United Nations Secretariat and United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), Compendium of Human Settlement Statistics 2001 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.01.XVII.5), Compendium of Human Settlement Statistics 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XVII.11) and United Nations, Compendium of Human Settlements Statistics 1983 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E/F.84.XVII.5).

Footnotes:

*
Excluding bathrooms and toilet rooms.
...
Not available.
a
La Paz.
b
Data refer to Government controlled areas only.
c
Data do not include the former German Democratic Republic.
d
Based on households in housing units.
e
Based on the number of occupied housing units with people present at the time of the census.
f
Excluding Assam and some areas where 1981 census could not be conducted. Also, not included are institutional households for which the number of living rooms in occupation of household was not canvassed.
g
Including the Indian-held part of Jammu and Kashmir, the final status of which has not yet been determined.
h
Kitchens not counted as rooms.
i
Based on occupied conventional and unconventional dwellings and occupied collective living quarters.
j
Ciudad de Mexico.
k
Based on conventional dwellings only.
l
Excluding Jammu and Kashmir, the final status of which has not yet been determined.
m
The definition of room does not cover kitchen even if it suits the definition of a room.
n
Island of St. Thomas. Total number of rooms was estimated by the UN.

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Technical notes:

The main data sources for housing statistics are national population and housing censuses. Internationally recommended concepts and definitions for collecting these statistics are published in the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.80.XVII.8) and given below. It should be noted that countries sometimes deviate significantly from these recommended concepts and definitions. Departures from these definitions, when furnished by the reporting country, are footnoted in the table.

The average number of persons per room was obtained by dividing the total population in occupied housing units by the total number of rooms as reported by countries. If the total number of occupants, i.e., total population occupying housing units, was not available, the total population figure was used in the numerator.

A room is defined as a space in a housing unit or other living quarters enclosed by walls reaching from the floor to the ceiling or roof covering, or at least to a height of 2 meters, of a size large enough to hold a bed for an adult, that is, at least 4 square meters. Rooms, therefore, may include bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, studies, habitable attics, servants' rooms, kitchens, rooms used for professional or business purposes and other separate spaces used or intended for dwelling purposes, so long as they meet the criteria of walls and floor space. Passageways, verandas, lobbies, bathrooms and toilet rooms are not expected to be counted as rooms, even if they meet the criteria.