The majority of Cypriots, 69.4 per cent, live in homes they own, while only 30 per cent are tenants, according to Eurostat data released on Thursday.

This places Cyprus slightly above the EU average home-ownership rate of 68.4 per cent.

Home ownership remains high across Europe, with Romania leading at 94 per cent. Germany was the only European country where tenants (52.8 per cent) outnumbered homeowners (47.2 per cent).

Eurostat also assessed the types of housing Europeans live in.

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In Cyprus, 74 per cent of people reside in houses, while 25 per cent live in apartments. Across the EU, just 51 per cent of the population live in a house and 48 per cent in a flat.

Houses were the most common form of housing in two-thirds of EU countries, with Ireland reporting the highest share at 90 per cent. In contrast, 65 per cent of Spain’s population live in apartments.

Cypriots live in an average of two rooms per person.

Cypriots live in an average of two rooms per person, above the EU average of 1.7 rooms and well above Romania’s 1.1.

The average Cypriot household consists of 2.5 people. The island also records one of the lowest overcrowding rates in Europe at 2 per cent, compared with the EU average of 17 per cent and Romania’s 41 per cent.

In fact, Cyprus has the highest share of under-occupied homes in Europe, at 70 per cent, more than double the EU average of 33 per cent. Romania reported the lowest under-occupation rate, at 7 per cent.

Eurostat’s data also highlighted sharp differences in housing arrangements between urban and rural areas.

Across Europe, 73 per cent of city dwellers live in apartments, while 27 per cent live in houses. In towns and suburbs the proportions reverse, with 57 per cent living in houses and 43 per cent in flats.

In rural areas, 83 per cent live in houses and only 16 per cent in apartments. The figures correspond to 2024.

Despite Eurostat’s rather optimistic outlook, Cyprus is currently grappling with an intensifying housing shortage.

As demand for affordable housing has outpaced supply, competition among tenants has increased, making the search for adequate housing on the island increasingly difficult.

According to a recent study by consulting company Perprice, rental prices for standard apartments in Cyprus’ main cities recorded an overall increase from August to October 2025.

Paphos recorded the highest increase at 4.8 per cent, while Nicosia and Larnaca saw modest growth. Limassol was the only city to show a small decrease of 1.9 per cent.

Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou has acknowledged the challenges, citing geopolitical tensions and inflation as drivers of rising construction costs that have constrained supply.

He added that interest rates and strong demand from foreign workers have further limited housing access for local residents.