Research and analysis

Rough sleeping data framework, July to September 2025 - release

Published 27 November 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 and are at record highs for this time of year. Although numbers are rising, the rate of annual increase is low and has been steadily falling since November 2024. 

People sleeping rough long term continue to be 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.  

In September 2025, there were an estimated 9,292 people sleeping rough over the month. This is a 6% increase since last quarter (June 2025) and a 3% increase since last year (September 2024). Of these:  

• 31% were new to sleeping rough  

• 37% had been sleeping rough long term  

• 16% were accommodated   

• 13% were returning to sleeping rough and of these, 31% had moved into settled accommodation in the previous year  

• 9% had left an institution which includes 5% that had recently left prison, and 2% that had recently left asylum support 

• 4% were under 25 years old 

• 81% were male, 18% were female 

• Where nationality is known, 78% were from the UK, 11% were from the European Economic Area (EEA) and 11% were from outside the EEA

• Where nationality is known, 89% had access to public funds, either due to being a UK national or from their immigration status

In London, the region with the highest number of people sleeping rough, the number of people sleeping rough over the month has decreased compared to the same time last year for two consecutive months, in August and September. 

In September, there were 2.3 times more people sleeping rough over the month compared to a single night. There were 4,049 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in September 2025, up 5% since last quarter (June 2025) and up 1% since last year (September 2024). 

Date of next publication: It is expected that the next quarterly publication of monthly data (up to December 2025) will be published in February 2026.

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
• To understand some basic demographics about people who sleep rough across the month e.g. gender and nationality

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 

Long term rough sleepers remain the largest group of those sleeping rough over the month.

Figure 1: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month, sleeping rough long-term, new to sleeping rough, returning to sleeping rough and sleeping rough having recently left an institution, May 2023 to September 2025

Source: MHCLG

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]}.

The annual increases in rough sleeping are falling.

Figure 2: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month July to September, 2021 to 2025

Source: MHCLG

4. Making rough sleeping rare 

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

Figure 3: Estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night (June 2020 to September 2025) and over the month (October 2020 to September 2025)

Source: MHCLG

Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the month 

There were 9,292 people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in September 2025. Each month covered in this publication was higher than the same period last year.

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 September 2025 in England was 15.9 people per 100,000, compared to 15.3 people per 100,000 in the same period last year^{[footnote 2]}.

Estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night 

There were 4,049 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in September 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 September 2025 in England was 6.9 people per 100,000, compared to 6.8 people per 100,000 in the same period last year.

The highest rates of rough sleeping are mainly in London, other major cities and coastal areas

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

Source: MHCLG

Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have moved into accommodation

On average around 1,400 people each month who were sleeping rough were provided accommodation

Figure 5: Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have moved into accommodation, June 2024 to September 2025

Source: MHCLG 

In September 2025 1,442 people, 16% of those sleeping rough over the month, were accommodated over the course of the month.

5. Preventing people sleeping rough

In September 2025, the number of people new to sleeping rough over the month was lower compared to the same time since last year.

Estimated number of new people sleeping rough

There were 2,918 new people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in September 2025 (31% of total people sleeping rough over the month), down 3% since September 2024.

Estimated number of people sleeping rough who have left an institution

Most institution leavers who are sleeping rough over the month are recent prison leavers

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

Source: MHCLG

There were 791 people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in September 2025 who had left an institution, 9% of the total number of people sleeping rough over the month.  

The majority of people sleeping rough who have recently left an institution have left prison in the last 85 days. In September 2025, 431 people had left prison, 5% of total people sleeping rough over the month.

The number of people sleeping rough who had recently left asylum support has been falling each month since the most recent peak of 474 people in May 2025. In September 2025 this was 163 people, the lowest recorded since September 2024.  

The number of people sleeping rough who have left other institutions is relatively stable, and are lower than the number of people from prison and asylum support. In September 2025, of those people sleeping rough 95 people had left a general or psychiatric hospital in the last 85 days, 70 people were care leavers under the age of 25 and 32 people had left other justice accommodation in the last 85 days^{[footnote 3]}.

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 3,397 (37%) people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month in September 2025 who had been sleeping rough long term. This is up by 10% compared to September 2024. In November 2024, people sleeping rough long term became the largest group, which continues to be the case. 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. 30% of people sleeping rough over the month in September 2025 were seen sleeping rough for one night over the last 6 months. The largest group of people are only seen sleeping rough on one night and has been the case since this was first collected in June 2024.

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

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

Source: MHCLG

7. Making rough sleeping a non-recurring experience

People returning to sleeping rough had been declining compared to the previous year but is now increasing

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

Source: MHCLG

There were 1,241 people estimated to be returning to sleeping rough over the month in September 2025, 13% of the total number of people seen sleeping rough over the month. This is an increase of 6% since September 2024.

• Of these, 382, 31% of all those returning to sleeping rough, were returning to sleeping rough after moving into settled accommodation in the preceding 12 months.

8. Demographics

For the first time, demographic data of people sleeping rough over the month is being published as part of this rough sleeping data framework release.

If a person refused to give, or did not want to share, their personal information, they would still be recorded as sleeping rough and their gender, nationality and immigration information would be recorded as ‘not known’, if unknown. It may not be possible to record demographic information, due to an individual being asleep when they were approached for example. A person’s demographic information may also be unknown if they had only been sleeping rough for a short period of time, and outreach teams were unable to collect this information. This information gathered relies mainly on self-disclosure and often it may take time to collect more detailed demographic information. 

Most people sleeping rough over the month are male, over the age of 25 and UK nationals

Figure 9: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month by nationality, gender and under 25, September 2025^{[footnote 4]}

Source: MHCLG

Information on the gender of over the month rough sleepers has been collected since June 2025. The majority of people sleeping rough over the month in September were male. In September there were 7,482 men (81%) and 1,639 women (18%) sleeping rough. Gender was unknown, other or prefer not to say for 171 people (2%). The gender breakdown of people sleeping rough is similar across all regions in England and similar to the breakdown in the annual rough sleeping snapshot.

Sleeping patterns of females experiencing rough sleeping are more hidden, transient and intermittent and therefore may not be fully captured by the management information.

In September 2025, 407 people (4% of total) sleeping rough over the month were aged under 25. The proportion of total people sleeping rough over the month aged under 25 has remained consistent between 4% and 6% each month.

Most people sleeping rough over the month are from the UK and most people sleeping rough have access to public funds

Figure 10: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month, by nationality and immigration status, September 2025

Source: MHCLG

Information on the nationality and the immigration status of those sleeping rough has been collected on a quarterly basis, (four ‘snapshots’ throughout the year) for the months of March, June, September and December, since June 2024.

In September 2025, of those where nationality is known 6,606 people (78% of the people sleeping rough over the month) were from the UK. 923 people (11%) were European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and 950 people (11%) were non-EEA nationals. The nationality of 813 people was unknown.

The nationality breakdown of people sleeping rough is similar across all regions in England except for London.

In London, of those where nationality was known, 988 people (51%) were from the UK, 421 (22%) were EEA nationals and 544 (28%) were non EEA nationals. The nationality of 242 people was unknown.

In London, just under half of people sleeping rough are non-UK nationals

Figure 11: Estimated number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month, by nationality, by region, September 2025

Source: MHCLG

Of the 1,873 people sleeping rough over the month who were EEA or non-EEA nationals, 965 people (52%) had access to public funds, 290 (15%) had leave to enter/remain with restricted eligibility to public funds, of these 159 (8% of non-UK nationals) had no recourse to public funds, and 131 (7% of non-UK nationals) had pre-settled status. 

322 people (17% of non-UK nationals) had restricted eligibility that neither grants access to public funds or falls under stated categories for restricted access e.g. No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and 296 people (16%) had an unknown immigration status.

9. Definitions

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.

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.

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.

No Recourse to Public Funds

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) is a standard condition applied to most categories of temporary immigration permission to protect public funds. NRPF is also applied to illegal migrants.

Examples of public funds for immigration purposes are Universal Credit, Child Benefit and Housing Benefit.

Non-UK nationals with status that allows for access to public funds

Refers to non-UK national individuals who have been granted status in the UK which allows for access to public funds. Types of status these individuals may have, but are not limited to, include Indefinite Leave to Remain (including Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme) and Refugee Status. For further information on what constitutes public funds, see Home Office guidance.

Non-UK nationals with leave to enter/remain with restricted eligibility to public funds

Refers to non-UK national individuals who have been granted the following types of status which restricts their eligibility to public funds:

People with pre-settled status (arrivals pre-December 31, 2020) if they are not exercising a qualifying right to reside (includes those with a pending EUSS application).

This individual has pre-settled status granted under the EUSS but has limited access to public funds as they are not exercising a qualifying right to reside. This also includes individuals who have a pending EUSS application. For example, an individual has a qualifying right to reside if they meet any of the following criteria:

• are a worker
• are self-employed
• are self-sufficient
• are a jobseeker
• are a student

People with limited leave to remain subject to a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition (arrivals post-December 31, 2020).

This individual has arrived in the UK after December 31st 2020 and has been granted limited leave to remain subject to an NRPF condition.

People with limited leave to remain subject to a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition.

This individual has been granted limited leave to remain subject to an NRPF condition.

Non-UK nationals with restricted eligibility that neither grants access to public funds or falls under stated categories for restricted access e.g. NRPF.

This category refers to those non-UK national individuals who have restricted eligibility for public funds however, this restriction falls outside of the sub-categories set out above.

Non-UK nationals with unknown status.

This category refers to those non-UK national individuals whose status is unknown to the local authority.

10. 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, over the last year 97% of areas provide a response each month and for those areas that do not provide data, imputed figures based on previous management information are 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. Both the management information and the official statistics are collated by local authorities, outreach workers, local charities and community groups, but the official statistics 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.

11. 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, Grace Harrington

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. 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. ↩

4. Information on the number of people sleeping rough who are under 25 years old is mainly collected as part of the prevention indicator to understand the number of care leavers who are under 25 years old who are sleeping rough. This indicator is designed to highlight recent inflows on the streets from institutions to take action to reduce rough sleeping. We do not collect data on other age categories as the main aim is the focus on young people care leavers. ↩