In EU countries, 68% of families own their homes

Monday, Feb 23, 2026

Il Sole 24 Ore

European housing shows property ownership varies greatly; Italy leads in vacant homes.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Housing ownership varies across countries; property values are high in the East and lower in wealthier economies. In Italy, there is the highest percentage of vacant homes at 27.3%, while Greece has reached historic lows in homeownership. In 2024, Eurostat reported that over two-thirds of EU families (68%) owned their homes, a slight decrease from 2023. Romania leads with 94% home ownership, followed by Slovakia and Hungary. Conversely, Germany shows the highest rental rate at 53%. Italy’s homeownership rate is 75%, higher than France (59%) and Germany (41%). Regarding housing types in Europe, 51% live in houses, 48% in apartments, and 1% in other accommodations. The average number of rooms per person across the EU is 1.7, with Malta having the most at 2.2. Despite high ownership rates, 17% of homes are overcrowded, and 33% are underoccupied. Italy specifically has the highest rate of vacant housing in Europe at 27.3%, significantly higher than France and Germany, with the South showing particularly high vacancy rates.

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