7.3.5. Housing and living conditions

Around 96 % of housing units in Lahore district qualified as brick-built pacca housing units.2239 Almost 2 % of households were categorised as semi pacca and mud and sheet-built katcha housing units respectively.2240 Furthermore, 63.6 % of households had access to drinking water inside their homes.2241 Some 1.6 million out of around 2 million (81.4 %) households had a separate washroom, while almost 84 000 households (4.2 %) had no washroom. 83.5 % of households were equipped with a ‘separate toilet’, but almost 2 % of households did not have a toilet at all.2242

City and regional planning expert Humaira Tabassum stated that Lahore’s urban structure is uneven. On the one hand, official ‘well-planned’ developments offer standard infrastructure, public utilities, a good road network, and security arrangements. On the other hand, nearby informal settlements frequently appear slum-like.2243 Reportedly, Lahore has ‘significant’ slum areas.2244 Rapid population growth has led to a considerable increase in property values. Average property prices in Lahore increased by more than 50 % between 2019 and 2024,2245 and low-income populations depended on informal settlements.2246

Lahore faces several environmental crises, namely flooding, toxic air and water shortages.2247 Due to inadequate wastewater management, untreated sewage contaminates groundwater and the Ravi River in Lahore, leading to a rise in waterborne diseases.2248 As of 18 January 2026, Lahore was among the world’s top 10 most polluted cities, according to the Air Quality Index.2249 In early 2024, a pneumonia outbreak with at least 5 000 children receiving medical treatment in Lahore was linked to dangerous air pollution levels.2250