Housing in Europe – 2025 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 – 2025 edition shows figures on many different aspects of housing.
How we live
This section shows the latest data on various aspects of housing, including types of housing, ownership, size, quality and people feeling discriminated against when looking for housing. Finally, it presents the environmental impact.
In 2024, 9% of the EU population could not afford to keep their home adequately warm.
Type of housing
68% of people living in EU households own their home
The distribution of population by tenure status (owner or tenant) differs significantly among the EU countries. In 2024, 68% of the population living in EU , owned their home, while the remaining 32% lived in rented housing. The highest shares of ownership were observed in Romania (94% of the population lived in a household owning their home), Slovakia (93%), Hungary (92%) and Croatia (91%).
Owning a home was more common in all EU countries, except for Germany. In Germany, renting was more common where 53% of the population were tenants. This was followed by Austria (46%) and Denmark (39%).
Just over half of the EU population live in a house
The distribution of population by type of housing (house, flat or other) differs among the EU countries. It also varies depending on whether you live in a city, town or suburb, or rural area.
In the EU in 2024, 51% of the population lived in a, while 48% lived in a flat (and 1% lived in other accommodation, such as houseboats and vans). Houses are most common in two thirds of the EU countries. Ireland (90%) recorded the highest share of the population living in a house, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium (both 77%) as well as Croatia (76%). The highest shares for flats were observed in Spain (65%), Latvia (64%), and Malta (63%).
In cities, 73% of the EU population lived in a flat and 27% in a house. For towns and suburbs, the proportions were 57% 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 16% in a flat.
Size of housing
On average 1.7 rooms per person …
The size of housing can be measured as the average number of per person: there were on average 1.7 rooms per person in the EU in 2024. Among the EU countries, the largest number was recorded in Malta (2.2 rooms per person), followed by Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (2.1 rooms). At the other end of the scale were Slovakia and Romania (both 1.1 rooms), Poland and Latvia (both 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 2024. Among the EU countries, this number ranged from 3.1 persons in Slovakia, 2.9 in Poland, 2.7 in Croatia and Ireland down to 2.0 persons in Germany, Denmark and Sweden and 1.9 persons in Finland and Lithuania.
Quality of housing
Around 17% of the EU population live in an overcrowded home …
The quality of housing can be measured in many ways. One way is whether people live in an home. In the EU in 2024, 17% of the population were living in such a home, a share which fell from 19% in 2010.
In 2024, the highest overcrowding rates were observed in Romania (41%), Latvia (39%), and Bulgaria (34%), and the lowest in Cyprus (2%), Malta (4%) and the Netherlands (5%).
… and 33% live in an under-occupied home
The opposite of an overcrowded home is an , 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 2024, a third of the population (33%) lived in an under-occupied home, a share which has been fairly stable since 2010.
In 2024, the highest shares of under-occupied homes were recorded in Cyprus (70%), Ireland (67%) and Malta (64%), and the lowest in Romania (7%), Latvia (10%) and Greece (13%).
In the EU 9% of the population unable to keep the home adequately warm
It is not only the number of people living in a home () which impacts the quality of life, but also the quality of the housing, such as the ability to keep the home adequately warm.
In the EU in 2024, 9% of the population did not have the ability to keep the home adequately warm. The highest shares were observed in Bulgaria and Greece (both 19%) followed by Lithuania and Spain (both 18%), while Finland, Slovenia and Poland (all below 3%) had the lowest shares.
Discrimination in housing
Almost 6% of people in the EU feel discriminated against when looking for housing
In 2024, nearly 6% of people in the EU who were looking for housing during the last 5 years, reported that they felt discriminated against at least once. Spain and Slovenia (both 9%) recorded the highest share, while Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Romania (all below 1%) had the lowest shares.
At EU level, the share of those who felt discriminated against was twice as high for people at risk of poverty (10%) compared to those not at risk (5%). The share for those at risk of poverty was higher in all EU countries, except in Malta, Greece, Croatia and Lithuania. The largest differences were observed in Cyprus (17% for those at risk of poverty compared with 2% for those not at risk), Belgium (17% compared with 6%) and Czechia (11% compared with 2%).
Environmental impact of housing
Household greenhouse gas emissions for heating and cooling: from 29 kg per capita in Sweden to 1 257 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 607 kg per capita in the EU in 2023, down from 921 kg in 2010. Among the EU countries in 2023, Luxembourg (1 257 kg per capita) had the highest value followed by Belgium (1 104) and Ireland (1 007). The lowest values were found in Sweden (29), Malta (77) and Finland (117).
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Housing cost
This section contains data on the evolution of house prices and rents since 2010 and includes information on housing costs and construction prices in EU countries compared to the EU average. It also looks at how affordable housing is in cities and in rural areas
On average in 2024, EU households spent 19% of their disposable income on housing.
Evolution of house prices and rents
House prices up by 53% in the EU between 2010 and 2024
Looking at the trend of in the EU between 2010 and 2024, there was an upward trend from 2013 to 2022 with significant annual increases of 8% in both 2021 and 2022. In 2023, prices saw a slight decline of 0.3%, followed by a 3% increase in 2024. In total, there was an increase of 53% between 2010 and 2024. There were increases in all EU countries except Italy and Cyprus. The largest increases were observed in Hungary (+231%), Estonia (+228%), and Lithuania (+179%).
Rents up by 25%
There was a steady increase of rents in the EU between 2010 and 2024 –25% in total, during the whole period. There was an increase in all EU countries except Greece (-16%). The largest increases were registered in Estonia (+208%), Lithuania (+177%), Ireland (+108%) and Hungary (+107%).
Inflation: prices up by 39%
Between 2010 and 2024 in the EU, inflation was 39%. During this period, there was inflation in all EU countries. The highest values were recorded in Hungary (86%), Estonia (76%) and Romania (71%). At the other end of the range were Greece (20%), Cyprus (23%) and Ireland (24%).
Housing costs between 49% below and 86% above the EU average
Housing costs (including water, electricity, gas and other fuels) compared to the EU average differ significantly between EU countries. The highest housing costs in 2024 compared to the EU average were found in Ireland (87% above the EU average), Denmark (86% above) and Luxembourg (78% above). The lowest, on the other hand, were observed in Bulgaria (38% below the EU average), Croatia (44% below) and Poland (49% below).
Looking at the evolution between 2010 and 2024, housing price levels compared to the EU average have increased in 17 EU countries and decreased in 10. The largest increase was observed in Ireland (from 17% above to 87% above the EU average) and the largest decrease in Greece (from 8% below to 29% below the EU average).
Construction producer prices up by 56% between 2010 and 2024
In 2024, the EU construction producer price index, or the cost of building new for the construction was 122.7, representing an increase of 22.7% compared to the base year 2021.
Between 2010 and 2024, construction producer prices in the EU rose by 56%, with increases across all EU countries. The largest rises were observed in Hungary (172%), Bulgaria (145%) and Romania (137%), and the smallest in Greece (6%), Italy (23%) and Cyprus (25%).
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 .
In the EU in 2024, almost 10% of the population in cities lived in such a household, while the corresponding rate for rural areas was 6%. The highest housing cost overburden rates in cities were observed in Greece (29%) and Denmark (23%), and the lowest in Cyprus and Croatia (both 3%). In rural areas they were highest in Greece (28%) and Germany (11%), and lowest in Cyprus (1%).
The housing cost overburden was higher in cities than in rural areas in 23 EU countries and lower in 4. The extremes in this difference were Denmark (14 , with 23% in cities and 9% in rural areas) and Lithuania (-4 pp, with 4% and 8%).
19% of disposable income dedicated to housing
Another way of seeing whether housing is affordable is by the share of housing cost in total. On average in 2024, EU households spent 19% of their disposable income on housing. This differed among the EU countries, with the highest shares in Greece (36%), Denmark (26%),Sweden and Germany (both 25%), while Cyprus (11%) had the lowest share.
Looking at those with 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% on average in the EU. On the other hand, for those with a disposable income of above 60% of the median income, the share amounted to 16%.
9% of people in the EU live in households with arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills
Arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills is another indication that housing costs could be too high.
In 2024, 9% of people in the EU lived in households with arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills. Among the EU countries, Greece (43%) had the highest share followed by Bulgaria (19%) and Romania (15%). The lowest shares were found in Czechia (3%) followed by the Netherlands and Poland (both 4%).
Even though house prices have increased during the period from 2010 to 2024, the share of people living in households with arrears on mortgage, rent or utility bills decreased in the EU from 12% in 2010 to 9% in 2024. The shares decreased in 20 EU countries and increased in 7. The largest decrease was observed in Croatia (from 30% in 2010 to 9% in 2024), while the highest increase was found in Greece (from 31% to 43%).
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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 2024, it was 5.5% of GVA.
Construction sector
EU construction sector stable at 5.5% gross value added
One way of measuring the size of the construction sector is through the (GVA) generated by this economic activity as a share of total GVA.
In 2024, the construction sector represented 5.5% of GVA for the whole of the EU. Romania with 8.8% recorded the largest share followed by Slovakia at 8.6% and Croatia at 7.7%. Smaller shares were recorded in Greece (2.2%), Ireland (2.7%) and Malta (3.8%).
Between 2010 and 2024, the share decreased in 13 EU countries, increased in 12 and remained stable in Belgium and Austria. The largest increase was in Croatia, from 5.4% to 7.7% and the largest decrease was recorded in Spain, from 9.1% to 5.7%.
Île-de-France leads in the number of people employed in construction
Another way of looking at the size of the construction sector is by analysing the number of businesses ( and the number of people employed in them among the regions (by ).
In 2023, Lombardia in Italy had the highest number of businesses with 111 000 enterprises in the construction sector and 304 000 people employed. It was followed by Île-de-France, the capital region of France with 107 000 enterprises and the highest employment figure in this sector 374 000. In the third place was Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands with 84 000 businesses and 131 000 persons employed. Next were Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in France followed closely by Cataluña in Spain.
Investment in housing in the EU: 5.3% of GDP in 2024
In the EU in 2024, 5.3% of GDP was invested in housing. This share differed among the EU countries, ranging from 8.0% in Cyprus, 6.8% in Italy, 6.2% in Germany down to 2.2% in Poland, 2.5% in Latvia and 2.6% in Greece.
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Built-up areas
1.5 million dwellings granted building permits in 2024
In 2024, 1.5 million were granted in the EU. Poland granted the highest number 287 000, followed closely by France 284 000. At the other end of the scale was Luxembourg with 3 900.
Looking at the EU's building permits for housing between 2010 and 2024, their number has increased every year since 2014, except for a 5% drop in 2020. In 2021, it rose by 16%, reaching a peak of nearly 2 million. After that, it decreased to 1.9 million in 2022 and dropped further to 1.5 million in 2023 and 2024.
Overall, between 2010 and 2024, there was an increase of 5% in the number of building permits for dwellings in the EU. Among the EU countries, the number increased in 18 EU countries and declined in 9. The largest increase was in Bulgaria (+211%), followed by Malta (+98%), Spain (+96%). Decreases were observed in Italy (-50%), Finland (-49%) and France (-36%).
Almost 3% of land in the EU used for residential purposes
Finally, is a large part of the EU made up of residential areas? In 2022, 74% of land in the EU was for agriculture and forestry, while only 3% was used for residential housing (including residential gardens).
The top 3 regions in the EU in 2022 with the largest shares of land used for residential areas were the German city regions of Bremen (34%) and Hamburg (33%), followed by the Belgian capital region of Brussels (32%). In contrast, Aragón in Spain (0.3%) recorded the lowest share followed by Övre Norrland in Sweden and Comunidad Floral de Navarra in Spain (both 0.4%).
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About this publication
Housing in Europe is an interactive publication released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
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 2025 and reflects the data situation at that moment in time.
Users who want more information about metadata should click on the links (‘access to dataset’) that are provided as part of the source under each visualisation. Once the database opens, there is an icon in the top-right corner that provides ‘explanatory texts’ for metadata.
The data presented in this publication are complemented by additional codes (flags) that are used to explain and define specific characteristics of data. The full set of flags is available on Eurostat’s website via the link to the dataset provided below each visualisation.
The release and update dates for all statistical indicators are published on the Eurostat release calendar.
For more information
- Statistics Explained articles on housing
- Statistics Explained articles on housing prices
- Statistics Explained articles on living conditions in Europe
- Statistics Explained article on construction producer price and cost indices
- Thematic section on housing
- Thematic section on housing price statistics
- Thematic section on income and living conditions
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, 2025
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.
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Cover photo: © Anselm Baumgart / stock.adobe.com
How we live: © AA+W / stock.adobe.com
Housing cost: © Natee Meepian / stock.adobe.com
Construction: © Panumas / stock.adobe.com
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Identifiers
Catalogue number: KS-01-25-055-EN-Q
ISBN: 978-92-68-33746-2
ISSN: 2600-3368
doi:10.2785/1681390
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