Key points from the chart
- The chart plots all 27 EU countries by home ownership rate and GDP per capita in 2023.
- Germany has by far the lowest rate, 47.6%, despite one of the higher incomes in the euro area [1].
- Romania has the highest, 95.6%, followed by Slovakia (93.6%) and Croatia (91.2%) [1].
- Central and Eastern European countries cluster at the top left, with high ownership and lower GDP per capita.
- Richer countries such as Austria, Denmark, France and Sweden sit lower, so on this chart higher income tends to go with lower ownership.
- Across the EU as a whole, 69.1% of people lived in a home their household owned in 2023 [1].
Home ownership in Europe, the chart in text
Title: Homeownership in Europe. Subtitle: Germany, Land of Poets, Land of Tenants. Chart label: Countries ranked by homeownership rate in percent and GDP per capita 2023, in Euro. The vertical axis runs from 50% to 90% and the horizontal axis from 10,000 to 110,000 euros. Each country is a red dot, except Germany, which is yellow. Annotation: Despite having one of the higher GDPs in the Euro-Zone, Germany has by far the lowest home ownership rate. Sources: Eurostat, Statista. Logo: Data Pulse.
The chart does not print its values. The table below gives the Eurostat figures for each country on it, which match the positions of the dots.
| Rank | Country | Home ownership rate, 2023 [1] | GDP per capita, 2023, euros [2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 95.6% | 16,840 |
| 2 | Slovakia | 93.6% | 22,750 |
| 3 | Croatia | 91.2% | 20,700 |
| 4 | Hungary | 90.5% | 20,570 |
| 5 | Lithuania | 88.8% | 26,310 |
| 6 | Poland | 87.3% | 19,980 |
| 7 | Bulgaria | 86.1% | 14,750 |
| 8 | Latvia | 82.8% | 20,920 |
| 9 | Estonia | 80.7% | 27,940 |
| 10 | Portugal | 76.0% | 25,560 |
| 11 | Czechia | 76.0% | 29,330 |
| 12 | Spain | 75.3% | 30,950 |
| 13 | Slovenia | 75.2% | 30,240 |
| 14 | Italy | 75.2% | 36,310 |
| 15 | Malta | 74.7% | 37,780 |
| 16 | Belgium | 71.9% | 51,200 |
| 17 | Cyprus | 70.1% | 34,610 |
| 18 | Greece | 69.6% | 21,670 |
| 19 | Ireland | 69.4% | 98,340 |
| 20 | Netherlands | 69.3% | 58,740 |
| 21 | Finland | 69.2% | 48,900 |
| 22 | Luxembourg | 67.6% | 122,970 |
| 23 | Sweden | 64.9% | 50,490 |
| 24 | France | 63.1% | 41,340 |
| 25 | Denmark | 60.0% | 62,760 |
| 26 | Austria | 54.3% | 52,560 |
| 27 | Germany | 47.6% | 51,090 |
Why Germany is the outlier
The chart’s subtitle, Land of Poets, Land of Tenants, plays on Germany’s old nickname as the land of poets and thinkers. Germany’s rate of 47.6% means more than half of its population lives in rented housing [1]. On the chart it sits alone below the 50% line, while countries with similar GDP per capita, such as Belgium at 71.9% and Austria at 54.3%, are higher [1][2].
Luxembourg and Ireland are the other notable points. They have the highest GDP per capita in the EU, at 122,970 and 98,340 euros, yet home ownership rates in the middle of the range, 67.6% and 69.4% [1][2]. At the other end, Bulgaria has the lowest GDP per capita on the chart, 14,750 euros, and a home ownership rate of 86.1% [1][2].
Home ownership rates by country outside the EU
The chart covers EU members only. Eurostat also publishes 2023 figures for some other European countries [1]: Albania 95.5%, Montenegro 90.3%, Serbia 89.9%, North Macedonia 87.1%, Norway 79.2%, Turkiye 56.2% and Switzerland 42.6%. Switzerland is lower than Germany, so it would be the lowest point if the chart included it.
Notes on this infographic
- Eurostat’s figure is the share of the population living in a household that owns its home, with or without a mortgage. It is not the share of dwellings that are owner occupied [1].
- The GDP per capita figures in our table are Eurostat’s current release, which can be revised after a chart is made [2]. The dots on the graphic may sit slightly differently.
- Malta’s 2023 home ownership figure carries a break in series flag in Eurostat’s data [1].
- The chart names Statista as a second source. We used Eurostat directly for every number on this page.
- We could not find the original post by Data Pulse, so the chart is credited to the name in its logo.
Questions about home ownership in Europe
Which European country has the lowest home ownership rate?
Germany has the lowest home ownership rate in the EU, 47.6% in 2023, so more than half of its population lives in rented housing [1]. Austria is next lowest at 54.3%, then Denmark at 60.0% [1]. Outside the EU, Eurostat puts Switzerland lower still at 42.6% [1].
Which EU country has the highest home ownership rate?
Romania has the highest home ownership rate in the EU, 95.6% in 2023, followed by Slovakia (93.6%) and Croatia (91.2%) [1]. Central and Eastern European countries cluster at the top of the chart, with high ownership and lower GDP per capita. Romania's GDP per capita was 16,840 euros in 2023 [2].
What is the average home ownership rate in the EU?
Across the EU as a whole, 69.1% of people lived in a home their household owned in 2023 [1]. Eurostat's figure is the share of the population living in a household that owns its home, with or without a mortgage, not the share of dwellings that are owner occupied [1]. Rates range from 47.6% in Germany to 95.6% in Romania [1].
Do richer countries have higher home ownership rates?
No, in 2023 richer EU countries such as Austria (54.3%), Denmark (60.0%), France (63.1%) and Sweden (64.9%) had lower home ownership rates than most of Central and Eastern Europe [1]. Luxembourg and Ireland have the highest GDP per capita in the EU, at 122,970 and 98,340 euros, yet rates of 67.6% and 69.4% [1][2]. Bulgaria has the lowest GDP per capita on the chart, 14,750 euros, and a rate of 86.1% [1][2].
Sources
- Eurostat, Distribution of population by tenure status, type of household and income group (ilc_lvho02), owner, total population, 2023. Data read through the Eurostat API on 30 October 2026.
- Eurostat, GDP and main components per capita (nama_10_pc), current prices, euros per capita, 2023. Data read through the Eurostat API on 30 October 2026.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
