Housing in Europe – 2023 edition
There are large differences within Europe on how we live in terms of size, kind and quality of housing and whether we own or rent. The evolution of house prices and rents also varies significantly between countries. Housing in Europe – 2023 interactive publication shows figures on many different aspects of housing.
How we live
This section shows data on whether we live in a house or a flat and whether we own or rent. It also includes statistics on the size and quality of housing and last, but not least, on the environmentsl impact.
In 2022, 9.3% of the EU population could not afford to keep their home adequately warm
House or flat – owning or renting
Over two-thirds of people in the EU lived in households owning their home
Being an owner or a tenant of your home is something that differs significantly among the Member States. In the EU in 2022, 69% of the population lived in a household owning their home, while the remaining 31% lived in rented housing. The highest shares of ownership were observed in Romania (95% of the population lived in a household owning their home), Slovakia (93%), Croatia (91%) and Hungary (90%).
In all Member States, except Germany, owning was more common. In Germany, renting was somewhat more usual with 53% of the population being tenants. Austria (49%) and Denmark (40%) followed.
Just over half of the EU population lived in a house
Living in a house or a flat also differs among the Member States, and also varies depending on the degree of urbanisation, namely whether you live in a city, town or suburb, or rural area.
In the EU in 2022, 52% of the population lived in a house, while 47.5% lived in a flat (0.5% lived in other accommodation, such as houseboats and vans). Houses are most common in two thirds of the Member States. Ireland (89%) recorded the highest share of the population living in a house, followed by the Netherlands (79%), Croatia and Belgium (both 77%). It should be noted that this includes terraced houses. The highest shares for flats were observed in Spain (66%), Latvia (65%, 2021 data), Germany (63%) and Estonia (61%).
In cities, 72% of the EU population lived in a flat and 28% in a house. For towns and suburbs, the proportions were 56% of people living in a house and 43% in a flat, while in rural areas 83% of the population lived in a house and only 17% in a flat.
Size of housing
On average 1.6 rooms per person …
The size of housing can be measured as the average number of rooms per person: there were on average 1.6 rooms per person in the EU in 2022. Among the Member States, the largest number was recorded in Malta (2.3 rooms per person), followed by Luxembourg (2.2 rooms), Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands (all 2.1 rooms). At the other end of the scale were Poland, Romania and Slovakia (all 1.1 rooms), as well as Latvia (2021 data) and Croatia (both with 1.2 rooms on average per person).
… and 2.3 persons per household in the EU
A related indicator is the number of persons per household.There were on average 2.3 persons per household in the EU in 2022. Among the Member States, this number ranged from 3.1 persons in Slovakia, 2.9 in Poland and 2.7 in Croatia down to 2.0 persons in Denmark, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden, and 1.9 persons in Finland.
Quality of housing
Around 17% of the EU population lived in an overcrowded home …
The quality of housing can be measured in many ways. One is whether people live in an overcrowded home. In the EU in 2022, 16.8% of the population were living in such a home, a share which has fallen from 19.1% in 2010.
In 2022, the highest overcrowding rates were observed in Latvia (41.7%), Romania (40.5%) and Bulgaria (36.2%), and the lowest in Cyprus (2.2%), Malta (2.8%) and the Netherlands (2.9%).
… and 34% live in an under-occupied home
The opposite of an overcrowded home is an under-occupied home, meaning that it is deemed too large for the needs of the household living in it. The classic cause of under-occupation is older individuals or couples remaining in their home after their children have grown up and left. In the EU in 2022, a third of the population (33.6 %) lived in an under-occupied home, a share which has been fairly stable since 2010.
In 2022, the highest shares of under-occupied homes were recorded in Malta (72.3%), Cyprus (70.9%) and Ireland (67.3%), and the lowest in Romania (7.3%), Latvia (9.4%) and Greece (11.3%).
Around 9% of the EU population did not have the ability to keep the home adequately warm
It is not only the number of people living in a home which impacts the quality of life, it is also the quality of the housing, such as the ability to keep the home warm, the lack of indoor flushing toilet, shower and bath, and a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundation, or rot in window frames or floor.
In the EU in 2022, 9.3% of the population did not have the ability to keep the home adequately warm. The highest shares were observed in Bulgaria (22.5%), Cyprus (19.2%) and Greece (18.7%), and the lowest in Finland (1.4%), Luxembourg (2.1%) and Slovenia (2.6%).
On average in the EU in 2020, 1.5% of the population had neither an indoor flushing toilet, nor a shower, nor a bath in their household. This was most common in Romania (21.2% of the population), followed by Bulgaria and Latvia (both 7.0%) as well as Lithuania (6.4%).
Regarding a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundation, or rot in window frames or floor, 14.8% of the EU population had such a problem in 2020. The highest shares were observed in Cyprus (39.1%), Portugal (25.2%) and Slovenia (20.8%).
Environmental impact of housing
Greenhouse gas emissions from households for heating and cooling ranged from 26 kg per capita in Sweden to 1 636 kg in Luxembourg
A part of greenhouse gas emissions come from households when burning fossil fuels for heating their homes, preparing warm water, cooking and air conditioning. This represented 733 kg per capita in the EU in 2021, down from 914 kg in 2010. In 2021, the largest values were observed in Luxembourg (1 636 kg per capita), Ireland (1 347) and Belgium (1 400). On the other hand, the lowest value was found in Sweden (26), followed by Portugal (150) and Malta (168).
Housing cost
This section contains data on the evolution of house prices and rents since 2010. It also shows whether housing is affordable both in cities and in rural areas.
On average in the EU in 2022, 19.9% of disposable income was dedicated to housing costs
Evolution of house prices and rents
House prices up by 47% in the EU between 2010 and 2022
Looking at the trend of house prices between 2010 and 2022, there has been a steady upwards trend since 2013 with particularly large increases between 2015 and 2022. In total, there was an increase of 47% between 2010 and 2022. There were increases in 24 Member States and decreases in 2 over this period (data for Greece not available) . The largest increases were observed in Estonia (+192%), Hungary (+172%) and Luxembourg (+135%), while decreases were registered in Italy (-9%) and Cyprus (-5%).
Rents up by 18%
There has been a steady increase of rents in the EU between 2010 and 2022 – in total 18% during the whole period. There was an increase in all Member States except Greece (-25%). The largest increases were registered in Estonia (+210%), Lithuania (+144%) and Ireland (+84%). In Cyprus the increase was only +0.2%.
Inflation: prices up by 28%
Between 2010 and 2022 in the EU, inflation was 28%. During this period, the annual inflation was clearly highest in 2022 with 9.2%. There has been inflation in all Member States during the period 2010-2022, with highest values in Estonia (56%), Hungary (53%), Lithuania (49%) and Romania (47%). The lowest price increases were observed in Greece (12%), Cyprus and Ireland (both 16%).
Housing costs between 63% below and 112% above the EU average
The housing costs compared to the EU average differ significantly between Member States. The highest housing costs in 2022 compared to the EU average were found in Ireland (112% above the EU average), Luxembourg (87% above) and Denmark (82% above). The lowest, on the other hand, were observed in Bulgaria (63% below the EU average) and Poland (60% below).
Looking at the evolution between 2010 and 2022, housing price levels compared to the EU average have increased in 17 Member States and decreased in 10. The largest increases were observed in Ireland (from 17% above to 112% above the EU average) and Slovakia (from 44% below to 3% below the EU average) and the largest decreases in Greece (from 8% below to 30% below the EU average) and Cyprus (from 8% below to 23% below).
Construction producer prices up by 40% between 2010 and 2022
The construction producer prices for new residences in the EU have also increased during the period 2010 to 2022 – especially since 2016, and particularly substantially from 2021 to 2022. The increase during the whole period was 40%. Among the Member States, the largest rises were observed in Hungary (+124%), Bulgaria (+103%), and Romania (+97%). Greece was the only Member State to record a decrease (-1%).
Is housing affordable?
Housing cost overburden highest in cities
With house prices and rents rising, the cost of housing can be a burden. This can be measured by the housing cost overburden rate, which shows the share of the population living in a household where total housing costs represent more than 40% of disposable income. In the EU in 2022, 10.6% of the population in cities lived in such a household, while the corresponding rate for rural areas was 6.6%. The highest housing cost overburden rates in cities were observed in Greece (27.3%) and Denmark (22.5%), and the lowest in Slovakia (2.3%) and Croatia (2.6%). In rural areas they were highest in Greece (24.2%) and Bulgaria (18.1%), and lowest in Malta (0.2%) and Cyprus (0.5%).
The housing cost overburden was higher in cities than in rural areas in 20 Member States and lower in 7. The extremes in this difference were Denmark (13.5 percentage points, with 22.5% in cities and 9.0% in rural areas) and Bulgaria (-5.4 percentage points, with 12.7% and 18.1%).
Almost 20% of disposable income dedicated to housing
Another way of seeing whether housing is affordable is by the share of housing cost in total disposable income. On average in the EU in 2022, 19.6% of disposable income was dedicated to housing costs. This differed among the Member States, with the highest shares in Greece (34.2%), Denmark (25.4%) and Germany (24.5%).
Looking at those having a disposable income of below 60% of the national median income, people who could be considered as at risk of poverty, the share of housing in disposable income was 37.9% on average in the EU. On the other hand, for those having a disposable income of above 60% of the median income, the share amounted to 16.0%.
Share of people living in households with arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills at a lower level than in 2010
Arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills is another indication that housing costs could be too high. Despite the fact that house prices and rents have increased during the period 2010 to 2022, the share of people living in households with arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills in the EU has decreased from 12.4% in 2010 to 9.2% in 2022. The shares have decreased in 22 Member States and increased in 5. In 2022, the largest shares were observed in Greece (45.5%), Bulgaria (19.9%), Romania (18.4%) and Croatia (15.7%), and the smallest in Czechia (2.7%), the Netherlands (2.9%), Belgium (4.2%) and Austria (4.7%).
Construction
This section focuses on the construction sector and shows the evolution since 2010. It also shows the most built up areas in Europe.
In the EU in 2022, it was 5.5% of GVA
Construction sector
Gross value added of the construction sector in the EU: 5.5% of GVA
One way of measuring the size of the construction sector is through the gross value added (GVA) generated by this economic activity as a share of total GVA. This share was between 5 and 6% in the EU in the period 2010 to 2022. It was highest at 5.8% in 2010, falling to 5.1% in 2014 to 2017 and then increasing again to reach 5.5% in 2020, 5.4% in 2021 and 5.5% 2022.
Among the Member States, the share of GVA in construction fell in 14 Member States between 2010 and 2022, with the largest decreases in Spain, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Among the Member States with an increasing share of the construction sector during this period, Hungary, Germany and Lithuania showed the highest growth.
In 2022, the Member States with the largest proportions were Austria (7.3%), Finland and Romania (both 7.0%).
French capital region: largest number of enterprises and persons employed in construction
Another way of looking at the size of the construction sector is by analysing the number of enterprises, the number of persons employed and the growth of employment among the regions (by NUTS 2 regions).
In 2021, Île-de-France, the capital region of France (more than 98 000 enterprises), Lombardia in Italy (almost 98 000, 2020 data) as well as Cataluña (73 000) in Spain and Rhône-Alpes in France (71 000), had the largest number of enterprises in the construction sector.
Looking at the number of persons employed in the construction sector, Île-de-France (365 000 employed) and Lombardia (259 000, 2020 data) also had the largest number, followed by Cataluña (219 000), Comunidad de Madrid (213 000), and Andalucía (197 000) in Spain.
In 2020, the growth rate of employment in the construction sector was at least 10.0% in Prov. Luxembourg in Belgium (+19.5%), Ipeiros in Greece (+15.2%), Budapest in Hungary (+12.1%), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany (+11.1%), Utrecht in the Netherlands (+10.4%) and Sud-Vest Oltenia in Romania (+10.0%).
Investment in housing in the EU: 5.9% of GDP in 2022
In the EU in 2022, 5.9% of GDP was invested in housing. This share differed among the Member States, ranging from 8.6% in Cyprus, 7.3% in Germany, 7.2% in Finland and 7.1% in France down to 1.6% in Greece, 2.2% in Poland and 2.4% in Ireland and Latvia.
Built-up areas
Number of dwellings getting building permits in 2022 in the EU decreased by 4%
A building permit is an authorisation to start work on a building project and is the final stage of planning and building authorisations from public authorities. Looking at the number of dwellings for which building permits were granted in the EU between 2010 and 2022, the number increased every year since 2014, except in 2020 (-5%) and 2022 (-4%). Overall, between 2010 and 2022, there was an increase of 29%.
The number of dwellings approved for construction increased in 23 Member States between 2010 and 2022. They almost quadrupled in Bulgaria (+277%), followed by Estonia (+162%) and Malta (+118%). The largest decreases were observed in Italy (-45%), Greece (-42%) and Cyprus (-31%).
Almost 3% of land in the EU used for residential purposes
So finally, is a large part of the EU built up with residential areas? In 2018 (latest year available), 75% of land in the EU was for agriculture and forestry, while only 2.9% was used for residential housing (including residential gardens).
This average masks substantial differences between the NUTS 2 regions. The largest share of land used for residential areas in the EU was in the German capital region of Berlin (33% of land is used for residential areas) and the German city region of Bremen (31%). On the other hand, in 17 regions, the share was less than 1.0%, with the lowest shares observed in Aragón in Spain (0.2%) and Övre Norrland in Sweden (0.3%).
About this publication
Housing in Europe is an interactive publication released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Context
In recent years, 2 major events have had an impact on a wide range of social, economic and environmental issues both within the EU and further afield:
- the COVID-19 pandemic and a range of associated containment measures;
- the effects of Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
Information on data
Data in the visualisations are linked directly to the online database up to the reference year mentioned in the title or at the x-axis of each visualisation. The accompanying text was finalised during late November 2023 and reflects the data situation at that moment in time.
For more information
Contact
If you have questions on the data, please contact Eurostat user support.
Copyright and re-use policy
This publication should not be considered as representative of the European Commission's official position.
© European Union, 2023
The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented based on Commission Decision 2011/833/EU of 12 December 2011 on the reuse of Commission documents (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39).
Except otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) licence. This means that reuse is allowed provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated.
For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need to be sought directly from the respective rightholders. The European Union does not own the copyright in relation to the following elements:
Cover photo: © Anselm Baumgart / Shutterstock.com
How we live: © Audio und werbung / Shutterstock.com
Housing cost: © Worawee Meepian / Shutterstock.com
Construction: © Bannafarsai_Stock / Shutterstock.com
For more information, please consult our page on copyright notice and free re-use of data.
Identifiers
Catalogue number: KS-FW-23-005-EN-Q
ISBN: 978-92-68-09714-4
ISSN: 2600-3368
doi:10.2785/279048
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