Around 170,000 older people homeless across Europe, report says
Around 170,000 older people are experiencing homelessness across Europe as the continent's overall homeless population climbs to an estimated 1.4 million, according to a report published Tuesday.
The 11th annual overview of housing exclusion by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) and Fondation pour le Logement warned that homelessness among older people remains significantly undercounted.
The report estimates that 166,261 people aged 65 and over are living on the streets, in emergency accommodation or using homelessness services, a figure it rounds to about 170,000.
It said the true number is likely higher because data on older homeless people remain incomplete and vary widely between countries.
Across Europe, the report estimates that about 1.4 million people are homeless, including those sleeping rough, staying in emergency accommodation or using dedicated homelessness services.
Among 23 countries with recent data on homelessness, 17 recorded increases.
Ireland saw the steepest long-term rise among countries with comparable figures, with the homeless population increasing 367% from 3,738 in 2014 to 17,447 in 2026.
Portugal recorded a 228% increase, from 4,414 homeless people in 2017 to 14,476 in 2024, while France saw a 187% rise, from 110,894 in 2009 to 318,185 in 2024.
Finland was one of the few countries to record a long-term decline, with homelessness falling from 17,958 people in 1987 to 3,429 in 2023. However, the figure rose 34% between 2023 and 2025.
Growing old without secure housing
The report warned that housing insecurity among older people extends beyond homelessness to people living in inadequate homes, facing eviction or energy poverty or struggling to maintain housing they can no longer afford.
The share of older people among homeless populations also varies sharply between countries.
In Poland, 10,084 people aged 60 and over were recorded as homeless in 2024, accounting for nearly a third of the country's homeless population.
Portugal recorded 977 homeless people aged 65 and over in 2024, up 145% from 396 in 2018.
The report cautioned that national figures are not directly comparable because countries use different definitions, age thresholds and methods for measuring homelessness.
Its Europe-wide estimate of older homelessness was based on data from nine countries covering 105,446 people and extrapolated using the average rate among the population aged 65 and over.
Some countries exclude older people from official homelessness statistics.
In the Netherlands, for example, national figures exclude people over 64. A separate count across 57 municipalities in 2025 recorded 28,721 homeless people, including 6% aged 60 to 69 and slightly over 1% aged 70 and above.
The report linked housing insecurity in later life to falling income after retirement and the loss of a partner, and said women can be particularly vulnerable because their pensions are on average lower than men's in the EU.
The consequences of homelessness can also be severe for life expectancy.
In France, at least 735 homeless people died in 2023 at an average age of 49 – around 30 years younger than the general population.
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