2023
The "Housing in Europe - 2023 edition" publication by Eurostat presents an in-depth analysis of housing across EU member states. Key findings reveal that 69% of the EU population lived in owner-occupied homes in 2022, with Romania having the highest ownership rate at 95%. Housing types showed that 52% lived in houses and 47.5% in flats, while the average was 1.6 rooms per person. Notably, 16.8% of the population lived in overcrowded homes, and 19.6% of disposable income was spent on housing costs. Between 2010 and 2022, house prices rose by 47%, and rents by 18%, with significant increases in Estonia. The report discusses the effects of recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, on the housing landscape, providing a comprehensive overview of the current housing situation in Europe.
This interactive publication titled "Housing in Europe - 2023 edition" was released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in late 2023. It provides comprehensive data and analysis on various aspects of housing across EU member states.
Key findings include:
- Home ownership: In 2022, 69% of the EU population lived in owner-occupied housing, while 31% were renters. Romania had the highest ownership rate at 95%, while Germany had the highest share of renters at 53%.
- Housing types: 52% of EU residents lived in houses and 47.5% in flats in 2022. Ireland had the highest share living in houses (89%), while Spain had the highest share in flats (66%).
- Housing size: The EU average was 1.6 rooms per person and 2.3 persons per household in 2022.
- Housing quality: 16.8% of the EU population lived in overcrowded homes in 2022, down from 19.1% in 2010. Conversely, 33.6% lived in under-occupied homes.
- Housing affordability: On average, 19.6% of disposable income was spent on housing costs in the EU in 2022. The housing cost overburden rate was higher in cities (10.6%) compared to rural areas (6.6%).
- House prices and rents: Between 2010 and 2022, house prices in the EU increased by 47% while rents rose by 18%. Estonia saw the largest increases in both categories.
- Construction sector: The construction sector accounted for 5.5% of EU gross value added in 2022. Investment in housing was 5.9% of GDP in the EU in 2022.
- Land use: Only 2.9% of land in the EU was used for residential housing in 2018.
The report provides context on how recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have impacted housing issues in Europe. It aims to present a comprehensive overview of the housing situation across EU member states using the latest available data.