Homelessness
Not having adequate, stable housing makes it difficult to participate in society, and is associated with negative personal and social outcomes across a broad range of wellbeing domains.
People sleeping rough
This measure shows the rate of people sleeping rough in the ACT per 10,000 people.
People experiencing homelessness are some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Sleeping rough, in tents, cars or improvised dwellings can put people at greater risk of poor wellbeing.
In 2021, the rate of people sleeping rough in the ACT was 1.3 per 10,000, which was lower than the national rate (3 per 10,000). It was also the second lowest rate among all states and territories.
As of February 2026, there was no new data for this measure given reliance on the Census. The next Census will be held in 2026.
The rate of people sleeping rough is one of six groups that the ABS uses to count the number of people who are homeless on Census night. In 2021, the total number of people experiencing homelessness was 39 per 10,000.
In addition to the Census data, the number of people accessing homelessness services or seeking support in Canberra, while not a total picture of homelessness, provides insights into more recent trends.
In 2024-25, specialist homelessness services in the ACT assisted 4,200 clients, an increase from the 4000 clients assisted in 2023-24.
Data source
Chart description
Line graph of the rate of people sleeping rough in the ACT per 10,000 residents, in 5-year intervals from 2011 to 2021. In 2021, 1.3 residents per 10,000 residents slept rough compared to 1.4 in 2016.
Technical notes
The census is the only published data source for estimates of the prevalence of homelessness across all types of homelessness, including people sleeping rough.
The ACT Government is working with the community sector to estimate the number of people sleeping rough to respond to service needs.
Rough sleeping refers to people who live on the streets and who sleep in places that are not designed to be slept in (for example building doorways, bus-shelters, parks, under-passes, cars and carparks etc).
