February 25, 2026. Despite global progress in strengthening land rights, more than a billion people worldwide—nearly one in four adults—fear they could lose rights to some or all of their land, as well as their housing, within the next five years. This is according to a UN-supported report. Its authors emphasize the need for more inclusive land rights policies, according to the UN press service.

Over the past two decades, governments have adopted national and international frameworks on land policy in Africa and responsible governance of land tenure. As a result, more than 70 countries have initiated land reform processes.

However, numerous challenges remain in this area. According to a report prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Land Coalition, and the French Center for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), only 35 percent of the world's land currently has formally documented ownership, tenure, or use rights.

Data indicate that more than 1.1 billion people experience "land insecurity," meaning they believe it is likely or very likely that they will lose their property in the coming years. "Land insecurity is one of the most devastating forms of inequality," said FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen.

The report states that states have legal title to more than 64 percent of the world's land. This includes lands under traditional use with certain tenure rights but without documented ownership.

Just over a quarter of all land is privately owned—by individuals, groups, and companies. Approximately 18 percent of the world's land, or 2.4 billion hectares, is owned by individuals and corporations. When considering agricultural land, which accounts for approximately 37 percent of the world's total land area, the top 10 percent of landowners cultivate nearly 90 percent of all cultivated land.

The ownership status of 10 percent of the land remains unknown.

The report also highlights that land tenure systems vary significantly across regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, 73 percent of land is under customary tenure, but only one percent is officially recognized as such, while most land is formally state-owned.

In North America, 32 percent of land is privately owned, in Latin America – 39 percent, in Europe – 55 percent, with the exception of Russia, where state ownership of land predominates.

Although indigenous peoples and other traditional land rights holders occupy 5.5 billion hectares, representing 42 percent of the world's land, they have clearly defined and documented title to only 1 billion hectares.

The data also show that in almost all countries, women are less likely than men to own or have secure rights to land, whether for residential or agricultural purposes.

“So many people still live in fear of losing their land and homes, and women and youth remain among the most vulnerable,” said Marcy Vigoda, director of the International Land Coalition.

The report examines traditional land tenure systems in detail. Traditional lands are territories historically inhabited and used by indigenous peoples, nomads, or local communities for traditional livelihoods. These include forests, pastures, wetlands, and fisheries. Their management systems, once considered a relic of the past, are increasingly viewed as vital for both people and the planet, given their contribution to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

Globally, approximately 4.2 billion hectares of traditional lands have been mapped, representing more than 32 percent of the Earth's total land area excluding Antarctica.

The FAO notes that traditional lands are increasingly under threat from human activities such as urban expansion, large-scale industrial agriculture, oil and gas extraction, and mining.