Having your own apartment does not always correlate with a high quality of life for Europeans. Statistics show a clear divide between Western and Eastern Europe: while in some countries the population is buying up square meters en masse, sacrificing space, in others, it prefers to rent. This is evidenced by data from Global Property Guide and Eurostat.
Romania has become the absolute leader in the European Union in terms of homeownership. There, 94.3% of households live in their own homes. However, this indicator hides other statistics: the country has the highest level of overpopulation, over 40%. This means that despite formal ownership of real estate, a significant part of Romanians lives in conditions where there are not enough rooms or space per person.
A similar situation is observed in neighboring countries:
- Slovakia: 93.1% of owners;
- Croatia: 91% of owners;
- Hungary: 91.6% of owners.
A high percentage of ownership with a significant population density is also observed in Poland and Bulgaria. As for the cost of housing in the capitals of these countries, the situation looks like this:
- In Poland, the average price per square meter is about 3,850 euros.
- In Bulgaria, housing is among the most affordable in the EU — at about 2,020 euros per square meter.
At the other end of the spectrum is Germany, which has the lowest homeownership rate in the European Union — only 47.2%. More than half of Germans (52.8%) rent apartments and houses.
A low percentage of owners (less than 65%) is also recorded in Austria, Denmark, and France.
Luxembourg remains the most expensive location to buy real estate in the EU. The cost per square meter in the capital of this country exceeds 11,000 euros.