London Councils said its December 17, 2025 analysis puts the number at about 210,000 Londoners.
Some 102,000 are children, up eight per cent on last year and 35 per cent higher than in 2021.
The research also investigated borough spending on homelessness, revealing that councils spent £2.025 billion on homelessness in 2024-25.
The cost of temporary accommodation is also on the increase in London, with an average rise of 75 per cent over the past five years, compared to a 23 per cent increase in market rents over the same period.
Between July and September 2023, London’s CHAIN outreach database recorded 4,068 rough sleepers in the capital, including 2,086 people sleeping rough for the first time.
