Around one million homeless people in Ukraine: 40% are displaced persons who lost housing due to the war

The number of homeless people in Ukraine may exceed one million, with 40% of them being displaced persons who lost their housing as a result of the war.

These figures are contained in a large-scale study by the international charitable organization Depol Ukraine, conducted in April.

According to the document, the study found that the total number of homeless people in the country may range from 57,000 to 121,000. This figure diverges significantly from official statistics: according to the Ministry of Social Policy, as of January 1, 2026, the number of registered homeless persons stood at 12,451 — that is, only about one-fifth to one-tenth of the actual figure.

“The real number of homeless people may be considerably higher, since the study found that there is a category of individuals who do not visit facilities for the homeless. In addition, the number of homeless people has increased substantially as a result of the full-scale invasion. According to expert estimates, the total number of homeless people in Ukraine today may number more than one million,” the document states.

Men predominate among the homeless, accounting for 69%. The largest age group is persons aged 41–59 (46%). Some 63% have been without housing for more than two years. The most common groups among the homeless are internally displaced persons (40%), persons with disabilities (33%), and elderly people living alone (28%). Experts also note a significant increase in appeals related to housing loss from veterans.

The socioeconomic situation of homeless people remains extremely difficult: 78% of them are unemployed, and only 6% have steady employment. The primary source of income for 41% is government payments, and for 18% it is assistance from charitable foundations. The most common form of earning money (18%), as cited by homeless people themselves, is collecting and sorting recyclable materials.

Experts draw attention to the blurring of the boundary between “new” and “traditional” homeless people: those who lost their housing due to the war are no longer visibly distinguishable from the rest of the population. According to the researchers, this complicates both their identification and public awareness of the problem.

The outlet previously reported that nearly 9 million Ukrainians are living below the poverty line, and that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most severe demographic crises in the world, becoming a country of widows and orphans.