housing developments in european countries - Department of ...

Section 1
Introduction and Summary
examination. Malta, Spain and Italy have the highest
rate of vacant dwellings. As would be expected, in
view of the high numbers of tourists who visit these
countries, Section 2 of this report indicates that the
majority of these dwellings are second homes. The
level of empty dwellings in Bulgaria is also above the
European average. Section 2 of this report links this
high vacancy rate to a declining population and
consequent low housing demand in specific regions of
the country. This phenomenon is also an issue for
regions of a number of other European countries
including Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland and
the United Kingdom.
In relation to housing tenure, TABLE 1.4.2 reveals that
69% of the housing stock in the 28 countries under
examination is owner-occupied. However, the level of
owner- occupation varies significantly across Europe.
Romania and Bulgaria have by far the highest levels of
home ownership – 97.2% and 96.5% of dwellings in
these countries respectively are owner-occupied. Home
ownership rates are generally higher in the new EU
member States – in Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and
Slovenia over 80% of dwellings are owner occupied.
This is also the case in Spain, Greece and Italy. In
contrast, Sweden and Germany have the lowest rates
of owner occupation amongst the countries under
examination.
6 European Union Report
As would be expected, in those countries where owneroccupancy
rates are very high, the rental housing
sector is consequently modest in size and vice versa.
On average 16.9% of dwellings were private rented in
the 28 countries under examination. However, there
are no private rented dwellings in Bulgaria and
Romania, while in Slovenia only 2.6% of dwellings are
private rented. Among the 28 countries under
examination 10.1% of dwellings are social rented.
Although levels of social rented are higher in the 15
long-standing EU members (where an average of
12.2% of dwellings are social rented), in comparison
with the 10 new EU members (where an average of
7% of dwellings are social rented), the distribution of
social rented dwellings is uneven in both groups of
countries. The average figure for social rented
dwellings in the long-standing EU members is skewed
by Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands where over
22% of dwellings are social rented. By contrast, with
the exception of Poland and the Czech Republic, in a
majority of the new EU member States under 7% of
dwellings are social rented.
The ‘other’ category in TABLE 1.4.2 encompasses a
wide range of types of housing including: dwellings
provided by employers and religious institutions and
dwellings occupied free of rent. This category also
includes co-operative ownership housing in the
following countries: the Czech Republic (where 12%
of the housing stock is in this category), Finland (1%
of dwellings), Poland (19.3%), Slovakia (14.9%) and
Sweden (16%). The nature of the co-operative
ownership sector varies internationally. In some
countries, occupants of co-operative ownership
housing enjoy similar rights and duties to owner
occupiers; in others they own only a small proportion
of the equity in their homes. Further details of these
arrangements are provided in Section 2 of this report.
The reasons for these international variations in tenure
patterns are manifold and complex. However, Section
2 of this report reveals that in the case of the 8 CEE
new EU members, together with Bulgaria and
Romania, the methods used to privatise the Stateowned
dwellings, which prior to the economic and
political re-organisation of these countries in the early
1990s was the dominant form of housing provision,
particularly in urban areas, had a key impact on the
housing tenure structure. In most cases this process
was carried out in two stages. Firstly ownership of the
dwellings was transferred to the local authorities,
which then sold them to occupants at large discounts.
Since the mid-1990s a number of these countries,
including Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia, have
prohibited further sales of social housing units, while
in Bulgaria and Estonia the number of sales has been
few, due to the limited size of the remaining social
rented sector. Although sales of dwellings still take
place in the Czech Republic and Poland, sales of
municipal-owned dwellings have slowed somewhat in
recent years in Poland.
TABLE 1.4.3 examines a second key feature of the
Table
1.4.3
Housing Quality in European Countries, Various Years
Date of Construction (DC) (%) Available Facilities (AF) (%)
Average Floor
Number Area
Pre- 1945- 1970- 1990- Running Bath/ Central of Rooms (FA)
Country Year to which data refer 1945 1970 1990 Present Water Lavatory Shower Heating (AR) (in m 2 )
Austria 2002 26.8 28 28.7 16.4 99.9 98.7 97.5 87.3 4.3 60-90
Belgium 1996 31.8 29.8 34.1 4.2 Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav
Bulgaria 2000 24.3 48.2 24.5 1.9 97.6 82.5 Nav 12.7 2.6 65.2
Cyprus* DC, AR, FA=2000; AF-1999 23* 10.7 38.1 28.2 99.2 97.7 94.8 50 5.8 144.8
Czech Republic DC=1991; AF, FA=2001; AR= 2000 41.9 24.6 33.5 0** 98.5 95.4 95.5 81.7 2.7 49.3
Denmark DC, FA=2000; AF=2003 38.9 29.9 25.9 5.3 99.9 99.9 94.3 99.9 Nav 109.3
Estonia**** DC, AF=2002; AR, AF=2000 18.9 22.8 31.5 4.1 82 72 68 59 3.8 68.9
Finland DC=1996; AF=2002; AR, FA=2000 12 32.9 46.2 7.9 98 96 99 92 3.8 85.7
Note:
* in these cases the
data on date of
construction
supplied by housing
ministries were not
originally organised
into the categories
utilised above.
These data were
therefore
reclassified for the
purpose of
including it in this
table.
See: Section 1 of
this report for the
original data.
France* 2002 29.4* 15.1 32.2 5.7 99.9 99.2 99.2 96.3 4 90
Germany* DC=2002; FA=1996 27.9* 61 11.1 Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav 88.4
Greece N/A Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav
** these data only
cover the period to
1990.
Regular National Report on Housing Developments in European Countries
7
Hungary* DC, AF=1996; AR, FA=2000 29.5 27.2 38.9 4 84.4 75.6 79.6 48.2 4.1 52
Ireland* 2002 20.5 17.6 36.2 25.7 99.7 Nav Nav 86.8 5.2 70.2
Italy DC=1991; AF=1995; FA=1996 29.5 40.7 29.8 99 99 99 79 Nav 88.3
Latvia 2000 25 28 43 4 83.2 77.8 67 64.9 2-3 40-60
Lithuania DC, AF, AR=2001; FA=2000 27 34 32 7 78.9 76.3 71.8 72 2-3 70.9
Luxembourg DC, AR=2001; FA=1999 27.3 72.7 100 100 100 100 Nav 81.1
Malta 1995 25.5 22.2 43.1 9.1 99 97.7 96.6 0.7 5 Nav
Netherlands DC, AF= 2002; AR=2000 20 27 53 100 100 100 90 4.2 Nav
Poland DC, AF, AR=2002, FA= 1991 23.2 26.9 37 11.6 92.5 80.6 80.8 71.4 3.7 49
Portugal 1991 24.4 31.2 44.2 0 87.2 88.8 82.2 Nav Nav Nav
Romania 2002 Nav Nav Nav Nav 53 53 Nav Nav 2.6 Nav
Slovakia 2001 11.5 35.2 46.6 6.7 94.7 60.2 62.2 76.3 3 40-60
Slovenia 2002 23.4 39.8 28.9 7.8 98.5 93 92 78.6 3 74.6
Spain 2001 22 29.8 34.3 13.8 98.6 96.8 Nav 53.2 5 76-90
Sweden DC=2002; AF=2000, AR=1990; FA=1996 21 43 28 6 100 100 100 100 4.2 71
Turkey AR=2000 Nav Nav Nav Nav 94.7 88 94.9 100 Nav 80-100
United Kingdom* 1991 41 22 38 0*** Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav Nav
Mean (R) N/a 28.8 34.8 37.6 8.2 93.3 88.2 88.7 72.7 3.6 76.5
Source: additional information was sourced in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2002).
*** these data only
cover the period to
1996.
**** 22.8% of the
housing stock in
Estonia is
categorised as
unknown in terms
of age. The
information on the
average age of
dwellings in each
housing tenure is
skewed by missing
data for some
countries. As a
result the average
values in the four
age categories
exceeds 100%.
Where floor space
data refer to a
range (e.g. 80-100
m 2 ) the interval
figure was used to
calculate the mean.
Introduction and Summary Section 1