Are Houses Losing Ground Across Europe?

Are Houses Losing Ground Across Europe?

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Houses are losing ground across much of Europe as rising costs and urbanization push more people toward apartment living.

This chart, created by DataPulse and Home24 using Eurostat data, shows the share of people living in houses across 30 countries in 2024, along with how those shares have changed since 2010.

While houses still dominate in countries like Ireland and the Netherlands, the overall trend points downward, suggesting a steady shift toward apartments across the region.

European Countries by Share Living in Houses

Ireland remains a clear outlier, with over 90% of residents living in houses, far above the European average of 51.4%. But even here, the share has declined over the past decade, reflecting a broader shift seen across most countries.

Country	% Living in Houses (2010)	% Living in Houses (2024)
Ireland	95.6	90.2
North Macedonia	79.1	82.1 (2023)
Netherlands	77.1	77.1
Belgium	79.2	76.8
Croatia	78.4	75.8
Cyprus	76.4	74.1
Hungary	69.6	73.3
Slovenia	71.1	72.1
Norway	82.0	72.0
Denmark	71.3	67.7
France	65.9	63.5
Romania	62.6	63.0
Finland	66.5	60.7
Poland	53.0	58.4
Luxembourg	66.3	57.8
Slovakia	50.3	54.6
Bulgaria	56.8	52.9
Sweden	56.6	51.2
Portugal	62.5	51.0
Austria	56.8	50.4
Czech Republic	46.7	48.7
Italy	45.2	40.8
Greece	41.8	40.6
Lithuania	42.9	39.5
Estonia	35.0	38.7
Germany	45.0	38.5
Malta	50.9	36.6
Latvia	34.3	34.7
Spain	34.9	34.6
Switzerland	37.4	33.7

In countries like Ireland, North Macedonia, and the Netherlands, detached or semi-detached homes remain the dominant housing type. However, this looks very different in practice. While Ireland and North Macedonia feature more spread-out housing, the Netherlands relies heavily on compact, high-density rowhouses, allowing single-family homes to remain common even in a densely populated environment.

Eastern European countries such as Croatia and Hungary also rank relatively high, with over 70% of residents living in houses. This reflects historical housing development patterns, where single-family homes were more common than large apartment complexes.

Urbanization Driving Apartment Growth

The broader trend is consistent across the data: in most European countries, the share of people living in houses is declining. In major economies like Germany and Italy, fewer than half of residents now live in houses, highlighting how urbanization is reshaping housing markets.

As cities grow, space constraints and affordability challenges push more people toward multi-unit dwellings. This aligns with broader findings on Europe’s housing cost burden by country, where rising prices are making standalone homes increasingly out of reach.

The Biggest Shifts Since 2010

Several countries have seen notable declines in house living over the past decade. Portugal (-11.5 percentage points), Malta (-14.3), and Norway (-10) have experienced some of the steepest drops.

Even traditionally house-dominant countries like Ireland and Finland have seen declines, suggesting a continent-wide shift. Germany, meanwhile, ranks among the countries with the sharpest decreases, reflecting its already urbanized housing structure becoming even more apartment-centric.

So, are houses losing ground across Europe? The data suggests yes. Most countries have seen declines over the past decade, and if current trends continue, apartments could become the dominant housing type across much of Europe by the 2030s.

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Explore more insights in this related post: Many Europeans say their nations are on the wrong track with housing.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/europeans-houses-most/