Indicators on housing
Source: Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat and
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).
Year Average number of persons per room *
Total Urban Rural
Aruba 1991 0.7 ... ...
Austria 1981 1.0 0.9 1.0
Bolivia 1988 ... 1.7 a ...
Brazil 1980 1.0 ... ...
Bulgaria 1985 ... 1.3 b ...
Cameroon 1976 1.2 1.2 1.3
Canada 1981 0.5 0.5 0.5
Cuba 1981 1.0 1.0 1.0
Cyprus 1982 0.8 c 0.8 c 0.8 c
Finland 1989 0.7 0.7 0.7
France 1990 0.7 0.7 0.6
French Guiana 1990 1.1 1.1 1.5
Gambia 1983 2.0 ... ...
Germany, Fed. Rep. of 1987 0.5 0.5 0.5
Guadeloupe 1990 0.9 d 0.9 d 0.9 d
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 1990 ... 1.5 i ...
Kuwait 1985 1.7 j ... ...
Martinique 1990 0.9 d 0.9 d 0.9 d
Mauritius 1990 1.2 1.1 1.3
Mexico 1990 1.5 1.2 k ...
Netherlands 1989 0.5 0.5 0.5
New Caledonia 1989 1.2 d 1.1 d 1.4 d
New Zealand 1991 0.5 l 0.5 l 0.5 l
Norway 1990 0.6 ... ...
Pakistan 1981 3.4 m 3.0 m 3.6 m
Panama 1990 1.6 1.4 1.9
Peru 1990 2.0 1.9 2.4
Poland 1988 1.0 l 1.0 l 1.1 l
Reunion 1990 1.0 1.0 0.9
Romania 1992 1.3 l n 1.3 l n 1.2 l n
San Marino 1991 0.7 0.7 0.8
Sri Lanka 1981 2.2 2.3 2.1
Sweden 1990 0.5 0.5 0.5
Switzerland 1980 0.7 0.7 0.6
United States 1990 0.5 ... ...
US Virgin Islands 1990 0.6 o ... ...
Sources:
United Nations Secretariat and United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (Habitat), 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).
* Excluding bathrooms and toilet rooms.
... Not available.
a La Paz.
b Sofia.
c Data refer to Government controlled areas only.
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 Seoul.
j Based on occupied conventional and unconventional dwellings and
occupied collective living quarters.
k Ciudad de Mexico.
l Based on conventional dwellings only.
m Excluding Jammu and Kashmir, the final status of which has not yet
been determined.
n The definition of room does not cover kitchen even if it suits the
definition of a room.
o Island of St. Thomas. Total number of rooms was estimated by the UN.
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.
Copyright © 1997, United Nations. All rights reserved
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