Chicago – February 02, 2026
According to the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN)’s report Forced Evictions in India: 2022 & 2023:
At least ~1.53 lakh houses were demolished by state authorities across rural and urban India in 2022 and 2023 combined, based on documented cases.
These demolitions resulted in the forced eviction of around 7.38 lakh people from their homes. These figures are conservative estimates, because they reflect only documented cases collected by HLRN and partner organisations; the real number could be higher.
Annual Breakdown
- 2022: Around 46,371 homes demolished and ~2,22,686 people evicted.
- 2023: Around 107,449 homes demolished and ~5,15,752 people evicted — a sharp increase compared to the previous year.
- In 2023, HLRN noted an average of about 294 houses demolished per day and 58 people evicted every hour.
Context and Reporting Notes
- These demolitions were carried out by state authorities (local, state, and central levels) and include instances tied to:
- Slum clearance / encroachment removal / city beautification drives.
- Infrastructure or development projects (roads, highways, smart cities).
- Other reasons cited include environmental projects or disaster management operations.
- The reported figures encompass both rural and urban areas across many Indian states and Union Territories.
