In which European countries do people most often buy their own homes, and in which countries do they more often resort to alternatives? Landgeist has published an interesting infographic.

3 countries with the highest homeownership rates:

  • Kosovo 97.8%
  • Albania 96.3% 
  • Romania 95.3% 

3 countries with the lowest homeownership rates:

  • Switzerland 42.2%
  • Germany—49.1%
  • Austria—54.2%

From this, we can conclude that homeownership is much more common in Eastern Europe than Western Europe.

What factors influence the level of homeownership in countries?

  • Affordability of local housing. A logical cause-and-effect relationship: the more expensive the housing, the less demand there will be from buyers.
  • Social housing is widespread in some countries, and they have lower levels of homeownership. The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria are examples of such places.
  • The demographic structure of the population also matters.

This data is essential to take note of for future investors because if a country has a low percentage of homeownership, there are more opportunities for successful long-term rental.