Over 95% of Romanian citizens were, in 2016, owners of the homes they lived in. According to the Eurostat report, this is the highest percentage of homeowners recorded among EU member states.
In Romania, the percentage of citizens who own the homes they live in was 95.6% in 2016, the highest percentage in the European Union. Romania is followed by Croatia and Lithuania, where 89.9% of citizens own their own home, and Slovakia, where the percentage is 89.5%.
At the opposite end are Austria, Denmark, and Germany. Thus, while 62% of Austrians own a home, the percentage of Danes who are owners is 58.6%, while Germany occupied the last place in the ranking in 2016. There, less than half of the country’s citizens (49.8%) owned a property in 2016.
Only one-third of foreign citizens in the EU are owners
According to the report published by Eurostat, at the European Union level, the average of citizens who are legal owners is 70.6%. On the other hand, the percentage of foreigners who own their own home is only 30%.
The highest percentage of foreign citizens owning a property was recorded in 2016 in Lithuania – 88%, Estonia – 85.4% and Croatia – 82.4%.
Slovenia (19.1%), Austria (19.9%) and Italy (20.7%) are the European Union states where only a small part of foreign citizens managed to purchase a home.
Almost all Romanians over 55 are owners
The percentage of Romanians aged between 55 and 64 who owned a property was 98.5% in 2016, according to the Eurostat report.
However, the same report indicates that almost half of Romanian citizens (48.8%) lived in overcrowded housing in 2016, while the EU average was 16.3%. This problem was almost non-existent in Cyprus, where only 1.7% of citizens lived in overcrowded housing, and Belgium, where the percentage of citizens who did not have enough space was 2.3%.
15% of Romanians barely cope with expenses
Romania is on the list of the seven EU member states where over 10% of citizens are burdened by housing costs.
Thus, in 2016, this problem was faced by citizens in Greece (39.6%), Bulgaria (18.4%), Denmark (16.3%), Germany (15.2%), Romania (14.1%), the United Kingdom (12.1%) and the Netherlands (11.2%).
Source: Imopedia/Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the homeownership rate in Romania?
As of 2016, Romania had the highest homeownership rate in the European Union, with 95.6% of citizens owning their homes.
Which EU countries have the lowest homeownership rates?
Germany (49.8%), Denmark (58.6%), and Austria (62%) recorded the lowest percentages of homeowners in the EU.
What housing challenges do Romanians face despite high ownership?
Approximately 48.8% of Romanians live in overcrowded conditions, significantly higher than the EU average of 16.3%.