Spain is the European Union country where a higher proportion of people feel discriminated against when searching for housing: 9%, slightly surpassing Slovenia's 8.9% and France's 8.3%, and well above the European average.
"In 2024, nearly 6% of people in the EU who searched for housing in the last five years reported feeling discriminated against at least once. Spain and Slovenia had the highest proportion, while Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Romania [all below 1%] had the lowest proportions," according to Eurostat's document Housing in Europe 2025 published last Thursday.
Eurostat includes in this statistic people who have felt discriminated against due to their living situation, gender, age, disability, or risk of poverty and social exclusion. "At the EU level, the proportion of those who felt discriminated against was twice as high among people at risk of poverty (10%) compared to those who are not (5%). The proportion for those at risk of poverty was higher in all EU countries, except Malta, Greece, Croatia, and Lithuania," Eurostat elaborates.
The statistical overview of housing by the statistical office also reveals other striking aspects in Spain. For instance, it is the country with the lowest proportion of the population living in houses. Or conversely, where more people live in apartments than in any other country.
"In the European Union in 2024, 51% of the population lived in a house, while 48% lived in an apartment," explains Eurostat, with the remaining 1% "living in other types of accommodation, such as houseboats or vans." "Houses are more common in two-thirds of EU countries. Ireland [90%] had the highest proportion of the population living in a house, followed by the Netherlands, Belgium, and Croatia." The highest proportions of the population living in apartments were observed in Spain [65%], Latvia [64%], and Malta [63%], it adds.
Simultaneously, the study shows that in Spain, there are a significant number of underutilized homes, meaning "considered too large for the household living in them." "The classic cause of underutilization is that older people or couples remain in their homes after their children have grown up and moved out. In the EU in 2024, one-third of the population (33%) lived in an underutilized home," states Eurostat. The Spanish figure is 55%, a number that exceeds 75% for individuals over 65 years old.
On the other hand, the percentage of people living in overcrowded or overoccupied homes is 9%. "Around 17% of the EU population lives in a home" in this situation, Eurostat explains. "Housing quality can be measured in many ways. One of them is determining if people live in an overcrowded home," it continues. "The highest overcrowding rates were recorded in Romania, Latvia, and Bulgaria, and the lowest in Cyprus, Malta, and the Netherlands."
The Housing in Europe report also presents figures of people who "cannot adequately heat their homes." Referring to the previous year's report, Spain led this negative statistic, although in 2024, it is no longer in the top position but still ranks very high. "In the EU, 9% of the population cannot adequately heat their homes. Not only the number of people living in a home influences quality of life, but also the quality of the accommodation itself, such as the ability to keep the home adequately warm. The highest proportions were recorded in Bulgaria and Greece [both at 19%], followed by Lithuania and Spain [both at 18%]." The Spanish figure in the previous report was nearly 21%.