Population Reports' Q&As

Meeting the Urban Challenge

The Urban Poor

Why are the urban poor more vulnerable than other urban residents to poor health and environmental hazards?

The urban poor are more vulnerable to poor health and environmental hazards because they are more likely than others to lack adequate housing, sanitation, and other basic services (107, 132). In each of 32 developing countries with DHS data, poor urban households were less likely than other urban households to have access to basic services, including piped water, a flush toilet, and electricity. Poverty status was defined by household ownership of certain consumer items, such as a refrigerator and television, as well as housing quality, including the number of sleeping rooms (48).

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