---
title: Three in Four People Across 22 Countries Are Cutting Back to Pay for Housing
description: "A 22-country survey of 30,758 people found 75% cut spending to afford housing: extra work in poorer nations, lost hope of owning a home in rich ones."
author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-10-13T08:41:06.256Z
updated: 2026-10-13T08:41:06.264Z
canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/habitat-housing-costs-survey-22-countries
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/habitat-nepal-hillside-housing-400277.webp
categories: Economy
content_type: News
region: Global
publication: Sovereign Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Three in four people surveyed across 22 countries cut back on at least one expense in the past year to pay for housing, according to a survey of 30,758 people that Habitat for Humanity International released on October 5. People in the poorest countries in the survey were the most likely to cover the cost with extra work, while in the richest countries many non-homeowners do not expect ever to own a home.

A third of respondents (33%) spent less on food to keep up with housing costs, and 13% delayed or avoided medical care, which Habitat says includes taking smaller doses, skipping doses or delaying refills. The share was higher among people in informal housing arrangements (89%) and lower-income respondents (85%).

## People in Low-Income Countries Are More Than Twice as Likely to Take On Extra Work for Housing

In the five countries in the survey that Habitat classes as low-income, with average incomes below US$10,000 per person adjusted for living costs, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal and Nigeria, 45% of respondents took on additional work to cover housing costs. In high-income countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, the share was 20%.

People in low-income countries also cite unstable income as a barrier to buying a home more often than people in high-income countries, 34% against 24%.

## Nearly Half of Non-Homeowners in North America Do Not Expect Ever to Own a Home

Across North America, 49% of non-homeowners do not expect to own a home at any point in their lives: 56% in Canada and [42% in the United States](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/silver-tsunami-13-9-million-homes-2036). In high-income countries, where non-homeowners point to prices and deposits, 58% say homes are too expensive and 44% lack enough for a deposit.

## Almost Half Say One Unexpected Problem Could Threaten Their Housing

Almost half of respondents (48%) say a single unexpected problem could threaten their ability to stay housed, rising to 67% among people in informal housing. Four in ten (40%) accept some risk to their safety at home because safer options are out of reach.

More than half of all respondents (56%) say housing costs make it difficult to consider starting a family, and among Gen Z and Millennials the share is 62%.

More than half (56%) say the housing system in their country is broken or does not work, and 77% would welcome more affordable or social housing in their own area.

Jonathan Reckford, chief executive of Habitat for Humanity International, said: "We cannot accept a future where people have to lower their expectations for what a home should provide. The research shows why we need governments, businesses and communities to work together to create housing systems that help people build a future instead of simply surviving the present."

> "A home should never come at the cost of your health or your future."
> — Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International

## Habitat Asks Governments to Ease Housing Supply and Investors to Report on Affordable Homes

Habitat is calling on governments to "move from housing promises to housing pathways" through political commitment and investment, to treat housing as core infrastructure, and to remove barriers to new supply, including limited serviced land, fragmented planning and unpredictable approvals.

On housing finance, Habitat says in [its full report](https://www.habitat.org/media/49321/view) that private investment funds and impact investors, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), should "aggregate and report on the social impact of their affordable housing portfolios." It points to the compliance reporting required under the US Low-Income Housing Tax Credit as a model. Habitat also wants banks and other lenders to expand housing microfinance and small loans that let families repair and improve their homes in stages.

The full report is at [habitat.org](https://www.habitat.org/open-door/home-cost).

## FAQ

**Q: Will Gen Z ever be able to afford a home?**
The survey measured what young people expect rather than what they will be able to afford, and most still expect to own: 81% of Gen Z and Millennial non-homeowners across the 22 countries say they will own a home one day. Younger respondents are also more likely than older ones to be taking on extra work to cover housing now, 37% against 21%.

**Q: Which countries have the worst housing problems in the survey?**
Côte d'Ivoire and Ethiopia had the most dissatisfied respondents, with 66% and 63% not satisfied with their housing against a 35% average across the 22 countries. Housing stress was sharpest in Nepal, where 68% named housing as one of the biggest sources of stress in their lives, and Ethiopia (58%), against 21% in Indonesia.

**Q: How was the Habitat for Humanity housing survey conducted?**
Edelman Intelligence surveyed 30,758 people in 22 countries for Habitat for Humanity International between April 10 and June 30, 2026, using nationally representative online samples plus extra respondents from low-income groups and people in informal housing, with supplemental fieldwork in some markets. Habitat notes that results for those targeted groups describe the people surveyed and are not estimates for the groups as a whole.