Global Urban Observatory and Statistics Section

Statistics Programme

Compendium of Human Settlements Statistics 2001

 The Compendium of 246 pages contains 13 tables and includes graphical presentations covering a wide range of statistical topics such as population and its characteristics, economically active population by industry and occupation, households, land use, housing units and facilities, infrastructure and services and crime. Eight of the tables are based on a special questionnaire prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division and UNCHS (Habitat) and present data population and housing in human settlements. In addition, the publication presents four tables based on estimates and projections of urban population and large urban agglomerations prepared by the population Division, Department for Economic Affairs, of the United Nations Secretariat. The final table in the publication provides projections on the number of households and annual household growth rates, prepared by UNCHS (Habitat). A number of urban indicators can be derived or retrieved directly from the data available in the Compendium.

 The data for 243 countries or areas and 315 cities were collected from the national statistical offices through the Human Settlements Statistics Questionnaire 1999. Other sources of data for the Compendium are: United Nations Demographic Yearbook (United Nations Statistics Division), World Urbanization Prospect-"The 1999 Revision" (United Nations Population Division).

 The purpose of the Compendium is to assist governments in reviewing human settlements conditions and trends, in formulating policies and  programmes and to promote systematic and sustainable development of human settlements, with special emphasis on development of human settlements statistics as instruments for monitoring the implementation of relevant policies. In addition,  the compendium serves as a statistical foundation for the Global Report on Human Settlements and its Statistical Annex which the General Assembly in its resolution 34/114 of 14 December 1979, requested the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to prepare on a regular basis. 

 In summary, the Compendium serves as a major statistical reference book for research on human settlements and is a significant contribution to the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) , held in Istanbul, Turkey from 3-14 June 1996.

 For further information, inquiries or how to obtain the publication please contact:

Coordinator, GUO and Statistics Section UNCHS (Habitat) P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 2 623050 Fax: +254 2 623080				or					Director Statistics Division United Nations DC2-1420 New York, NY, 10017 Tel: +212 963-4966 Fax: +212 963-4116

Alternatively, send your request to  Guenter Karl (Guenter.Karl@unchs.org), the Coordinator of the Global Urban Observatory and Statistics Section or to Erlinda Go (go@un.org), Statistician, United Nations Statistics Division.