Research and analysis

Rough sleeping data framework, April to June 2025

Published 16 October 2025

Applies to England

1. Main findings 

The number of people seen sleeping rough over the month and on a single night are higher compared to the same time last year. Although we are seeing rising numbers, the rate of annual increase is slowing and has generally been falling since July 2024. 

People sleeping rough long term are the largest group of people sleeping rough over the month. This group has also had the largest year on year increase compared to people who are new or returning to sleeping rough. This has been the case since November 2024. 

In June 2025, there were an estimated 8,732 people sleeping rough over the month. This is a 13% increase since last quarter (March 2025) and a 5% increase since last year (June 2024). Of these:

• 31% were new to sleeping rough  

• 36% had been sleeping rough long term  

• 15% were accommodated  

• 14% were returning to sleeping rough and of these, 30% had moved into settled accommodation in the previous year  

• 10% had recently left an institution which includes 4% that had recently left prison, and 4% that had recently left asylum support 

There is a mixed picture across local authorities. In June 2025, 149 of the 296 local authorities had an increase in the number of people seen sleeping rough over the month compared to the same time last year, in 21 areas the number of people was the same and 126 saw a decrease. 

In June, there were 2.3 times more people sleeping rough over the month compared to a single night. There were 3,852 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in June 2025, up 12% since last quarter (March 2025) and up 4% since last year (June 2024).

Date of next publication: It is expected that the next quarterly publication of monthly data (up to September 2025) will be published in November/December 2025.

2. Introduction 

Since May 2023, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been collecting data on metrics as part of a framework to better understand how far rough sleeping is prevented wherever possible, and where it does occur, whether it is rare, brief, and non-recurring.   

This data is relevant to people working locally to reduce rough sleeping and is an important step towards driving better outcomes for vulnerable people.   

There are eight indicators included in the framework, these are:  

Rare  

• The number of people sleeping rough (on a single night and over the course of the month). 

• The number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who have moved into accommodation over the course of the month. 

Prevented  

• The number of new people sleeping rough (on a single night and over the course of the month).  

• The number of people sleeping rough over the month who have been discharged from institutions. 

Brief  

• The number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who have been sleeping rough long term. 

• The number of nights on which people were seen sleeping rough. 

Non-Recurring  

• The number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who are returning to sleeping rough.  

• The number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who are returning to sleeping rough, who had previously moved into settled accommodation. 

There are a range of factors that can affect the number of people who sleep rough on any given night, for example, the availability of night shelters, the weather, and where people choose to sleep.  

The number of people sleeping rough tends to be higher in the summer months when it is warmer, and lower in the winter months, reflecting the seasonality of rough sleeping.

The management information is largely gathered by outreach workers as part of their regular outreach activity and may also be gathered from referrals from partner agencies to help identify people that may not engage with services. This means the quality of the information is linked to the coverage and frequency of outreach activity as well as the local data systems in place to accurately track and record this information.  

The figures in this release are therefore subject to some uncertainty and should be treated as estimates.

2.1 Uses and limitations

These statistics can be used: 

• To estimate the number of people of sleeping rough on a single night and over the month  

• To assess changes in the number of people sleeping rough over time 

• To compare local authorities and regions 

• To understand flows from institutions to sleeping rough 

• To understand the number of people who are new, returning or long term rough sleepers and the number of people who have been accommodated

These statistics are not suitable: 

• To estimate the total number of people sleeping rough across the year 

• To understand the reasons why people sleep rough or the causes 

• To compare with other countries in the UK 

• To estimate the number of homeless people, hidden homeless or people with nowhere safe to stay

3. Overall trends 

Figure 1: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month April to June, 2021 to 2025

The annual increases in rough sleeping are falling

Source: MHCLG

The overall picture is similar to the last publication in March 2025, in terms of direction of trends and also the breakdown of different groups.  

The number of people seen sleeping rough, both on a single night and over the month, are rising. Although we are seeing rising numbers, the rate of annual increase is slowing and has generally been falling since July 2024.

Of those sleeping rough over the month, the largest group were people who had been sleeping rough long term, followed by those who were new to sleeping rough and those returning to sleeping rough^{[footnote 1]}.

Figure 2: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month who were sleeping rough long term, new to sleeping rough, returning to sleeping rough and had left institutions, July 2023 to June 2025

Long term rough sleepers remain the largest group

Source: MHCLG

4. Making rough sleeping rare

Figure 3: Estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night, June 2020 to June 2025, over the month and, of each of these, which are new, October 2020 to June 2025

Rough sleeping is at record high for time of year, but increase is slowing

Source: MHCLG

Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month  

There were 8,732 people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in June 2025. Each month covered in this publication was higher than the same period last year. Since June 2021, the number of people seen sleeping rough in England has increased by 83%. 

The number of people sleeping rough over the month is 2.3 times higher than the number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night, illustrating that the flow of people onto and off the street over the course of a month is significantly higher than those seen on any given night due to the dynamic nature of rough sleeping.  

The rate of people sleeping rough over the month of June 2025 in England was 14.9 people per 100,000, compared to 14.2 people per 100,000 in the same period last year ^{[footnote 2]}.

Estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night

There were 3,852 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in June 2025. This has also been higher each month this quarter than the same period last year. 

The rate of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in June 2025 in England was 6.6 people per 100,000, compared to 6.3 people per 100,000 in the same period last year.

Figure 4: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month per 100,000 people in the population, June 2025

The highest rates of rough sleeping are mainly in London and coastal areas

Source: MHCLG

Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have moved into accommodation

In June 2025, 15%, 1,329, of those sleeping rough over the month were accommodated over the course of the month.  The proportion of people sleeping rough who have been accommodated reached 20% in November and December 2024 but has been falling since^{[footnote 3]}.

Figure 5: Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have moved into accommodation, June 2024 to June 202

Around 1,380 people each month who were sleeping rough were provided accommodation

Source: MHCLG

5. Preventing people sleeping rough

In June 2025, the number of people new to sleeping rough over the month was lower compared to the same time since last year. Since November 2024 people new to sleeping rough have no longer been the largest group of people sleeping rough.

Estimated number of new people sleeping rough 

There were 2,746 new people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in June 2025 (31% of total people sleeping rough over the month) - up 1% since June 2024.

Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have left an institution

There were 879 people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in June 2025 who had left an institution, 10% of the total number of people sleeping rough over the month^{[footnote 4]}.   

The majority of people sleeping rough who have recently left an institution have left prison or asylum support in the last 85 days. In June 2025, 375 people had left prison, 4% of total people sleeping rough over the month. 

The number of people sleeping rough who had recently left asylum support fluctuates. Since collecting this data in May 2023, there have been three spikes. The first, in December 2023, when there were 469 people who had left asylum support. This then fell to 121 in August 2024 and rose to 329 people in October 2024. The new data shows a new peak in May 2025 of 474 people. In June, this had fallen to 321, a 62% increase compared to the previous year. 

There is much less change in number of people sleeping rough who have left other institutions which are much lower than the number of people from prison and asylum support. In June 2025, of those people sleeping rough 87 people had left a general or psychiatric hospital in the last 85 days, 69 people were care leavers under the age of 25, 5 people had left the UK Armed Forces in the last 85 days and 22 people had left other justice accommodation in the last 85 days.

Figure 6: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who have left an institution, May 2023 to June 2025

The number of people who had recently left asylum support peaked in May 2025

Source: MHCLG

6. Making rough sleeping brief 

The number of people sleeping rough long term are the largest group of people sleeping rough and are also the group with the largest increase compared to the same time last year.  

The number of nights people are seen sleeping rough over 6 months remains similar to previous months. People sleeping rough who are only seen on one night over 6 months are the largest group.

Estimated number of people sleeping rough who are long term 

There were 3,167 (36%) people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in June 2025 who had been sleeping rough long term. This is up by 13% compared to June 2024. In November 2024, people sleeping rough long term became the largest group, prior to this the largest group was people new to sleeping rough. 

Estimated number of nights people seen sleeping rough over the previous 6 months

The estimated number of nights people are seen sleeping rough over previous 6 months is consistent with previous months. The largest group are people who are seen on one night in the previous 6 months, which has been the largest group since this was first collected in June 2024. 30% of people sleeping rough over the month in June 2025 were seen sleeping rough for one night over the last 6 months. 

Figure 7: Number of nights people estimated to have been seen sleeping rough over the last 6 months, June 2025

The largest group of people are only seen sleeping rough on one night

Source: MHCLG

7. Making rough sleeping a non-recurring experience

The number of people returning to rough sleeping has been lower each month this quarter compared to the same months last year. 

There were 1,179 people estimated to be returning to sleeping rough over the month in June 2025, 14% of the total number of people seen sleeping rough over the month. This is a decrease of 5% since June 2024.

• Of these, 356, 30% of all those returning to sleeping rough, were returning to sleeping rough after moving into settled accommodation in the preceding 12 months^{[footnote 3]}.

Figure 8: Estimated number of people returning to sleeping rough, June 2023 to June 2025, including those returning to sleeping rough after moving into settled accommodation, June 2024 to June 2025

People returning to sleeping rough is starting to fall compared with same time last year

Source: MHCLG

8. Definitions

People sleeping rough

People sleeping rough are defined as: 

• People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or bedded down in the open air (such as on the street, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). 
• People in buildings or other places not designed to for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations or “bashes” which are makeshift shelters often comprised of cardboard boxes). 

The definition does not include: 

• People in hostels or shelters 
• People in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes or organised protest 
• Squatters 
• Travellers

Bedded down is taken to mean either lying down or sleeping. About to bed down includes those who are sitting in/on or near a sleeping bag or other bedding.

This is the same definition as is used for the annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics. 

The number of people sleeping rough on a single night is an estimated figure determined from outreach contacts, or from a ‘Point-in-Time’ snapshot. 

The number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month is an estimated figure based on outreach contacts.

New people sleeping rough

A person is considered ‘new’ if they have not been seen sleeping rough in the local authority in the 5 calendar years (60 months) preceding the date they were seen sleeping rough during the current reporting period. If a person was seen more than 5 years previously, they are to be counted as ‘New’. If there is no historical data available for the last 5 years, people seen sleeping rough for the first time should be counted as ‘New’ whilst a historical database is compiled. 

Prior to May 2023, the definition was less specific in terms of time period, and a person was considered new if they were not known to local authority outreach teams and other support services.

People sleeping rough who have been discharged from an institution

A person is counted as having left an institution recently if they report having been discharged from any of the below within the last 85 days (12 weeks + 1 day): 

• Prisons (adult and youth) 
• Other justice accommodation e.g. accommodation provided by the National Probation Service (i.e. Approved Premises) 
• General and psychiatric hospitals 
• Discharged from the UK Armed Forces 
• Asylum support (previously ‘National Asylum Support Services Accommodation’) 

The 85 day period is based on Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) which provides temporary accommodation for up to 84 nights for homeless prison leavers and those moving on from Approved Premises to help them move into settled accommodation. This is designed to improve partnership working between homelessness and rough sleeping services and institutions to ensure people recently leaving institutions have suitable accommodation pathways. People under 25 who are care leavers are also included but the 85 day timeframe does not apply.

Number of people sleeping rough who have moved into accommodation

This is an estimate of the number of people seen sleeping rough over the month who have moved into accommodation over the course of the month, not including those accommodated under severe weather emergency protocols (SWEP).

People sleeping rough long term

Long term rough sleeping is defined as the number of people seen recently (within the reporting month) who have been seen sleeping rough in 3 or more months out of the last 12 months (1 year).

Number of nights seen sleeping rough

For each person seen sleeping rough over the month, the number of nights over the last 6 months (180 days) on which each person was seen sleeping rough is categorised as follows: 

• 1 night 
• 2 nights 
• 3-5 nights 
• 6-10 nights 
• More than 10 nights 
• An unknown number of nights

People returning to sleeping rough

A person is considered a ‘returner’ if they are seen sleeping rough again after no contact for 2 or more quarters (180 days), whichever is shorter, measured from the last date the person was seen.

Number of people sleeping rough who had previously moved into settled accommodation

For a person to be counted under this indicator, they should be returning to sleeping rough after no contact of 2 or more quarters (180 days) (as in NR1), they should have been seen in the previous 5 years (i.e., they don’t meet the criteria for P1), and they should have been moved into settled accommodation, defined as accommodation intended to last for an extended period of time and including the following categories: 

• Social rented sector (including council tenancy, registered providers) 
• Supported Accommodation (including Housing First, care homes, and other supported accommodation pathways) 
• Hostels (including reception centres, emergency units and refuges) with accommodation for longer than 6 months 
• Private rented sector (with an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement) 
• Staying with family or friends 
• Owner-occupier 
• Returned to home country

Potential overlaps in groups

There is the potential for some overlap between new people sleeping rough over the month and people returning to sleeping rough if a person found sleeping rough returns to sleeping rough after not being seen for more than five years.

There is also potential for some overlap between the long term and returner indicators if a person has not been seen sleeping rough for the last 6 months, but in the 6 months previous was seen 2 further times, this would mean this person is both a long term rough sleeper and a returner.

Not all people seen sleeping rough over the month, are included in new people sleeping rough over the month, people sleeping rough long term or people returning to sleeping rough. People who have left an institution may also overlap all of those categories.

9. Things you need to know

• The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have been collecting monthly management information from all local authorities in England about the support for people sleeping rough and those at risk of sleeping rough, since May 2020, alongside the annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics. 
• On average, 96% of areas provide a response each month and for those areas that do not provide data, imputed figures based on previous management information has been used. 
• This monthly management information, provided by local authorities, includes a more frequent although less robust estimate of people sleeping rough on a single night, compared to the annual official rough sleeping snapshot statistics. The official statistics are collated by outreach workers, local charities and community groups and are independently verified by Homeless Link. 
• The management information also provides an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month in each local authority to better understand the flow of people sleeping rough. This figure is based on casework done by outreach teams and other service providers.

10. Enquiries

Media

Telephone: 0303 444 1209 

Email: newsdesk@communities.gov.uk 

Statistical enquiries

Telephone: 0303 444 2623 

Email: roughsleepingstatistics@communities.gov.uk

Responsible analysts

Jon White, Millie Brown

Information on Official Statistics is available via the UK Statistics Authority website. 

Information about statistics at MHCLG is available via the department’s website.

1. These indicators are not mutually exclusive, and some overlaps can occur between the different indicators. Please refer to definitions. ↩

2. Based on ONS mid-2024 population estimates. ↩

3. We only began collecting this data in June 2024, and some areas which have larger numbers did not provide data, which is why we have not included an annual comparison ↩ ↩²

4. The 85 day period is based on Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) which provides temporary accommodation for up to 84 nights for homeless prison leavers and those moving on from Approved Premises to help them move into settled accommodation. This is designed to improve partnership working between homelessness and rough sleeping services and institutions to ensure people recently leaving institutions have suitable accommodation pathways. People under 25 who are care leavers are also included but the 85 day timeframe does not apply. ↩