Europe has an empty space problem and a severe housing crisis at the same time.
Despite shortages of affordable housing across the bloc, one in three people in the EU live in homes with spare bedrooms, according to Eurostat. The figures highlight a mismatch between housing supply and household needs, as well as stark differences in housing patterns across Europe.
Under-occupation refers to homes that are larger than their occupants need, typically because they have more bedrooms than required. It is the opposite of overcrowding and is often linked to older people continuing to live in family homes after their children have moved out.
While inadequate housing remains a challenge across almost all EU countries, the scale of the crisis and its underlying causes vary significantly, according to the European Council.
So which countries have the highest rates of under-occupation? Across the EU, 33.4% of people live in under-occupied dwellings, but the figure ranges from 8.1% in Romania to 69.4% in Cyprus.
