Germany as a unique EU case: More tenants than owners
Germany remains the only EU country with more tenants than owners of apartments and houses. The proportion of owners fell from 49% to 47% last year, according to the statistics office Eurostat. In Austria, which has the second-lowest ownership rate, the proportion also fell - from 54 to 51 percent.
According to Eurostat, the EU-wide ownership rate fell by just under one percentage point. Overall, 69% are owners and 31% are tenants. The ownership rate is particularly high in eastern EU countries such as Romania (95%), Slovakia (93%), Croatia (91%) and Hungary (90%).
Apart from Austria, the lowest ownership rates outside Germany are in Denmark (60%) and France (63%). Outside the EU, Switzerland has an even lower ownership rate (42%) than Germany.
Despite Germany's decrease in homeownership, the country still has more tenants than owners in the real estate market, maintaining its unique status within the EU. The EU-wide housing market also saw a slight drop in the ownership rate, with only 69% of Europeans owning properties and the remaining 31% renting.
Source: www.dpa.com
