Fresh research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shows that over 67% of citizens in the Republic dwell in homes which are larger than necessary for their household size. When compared to other nations in Europe, it was discovered that on average, the housing units in the Republic are larger, housing fewer inhabitants.
The trend of bigger homes with more bedrooms than necessary is strongly linked to cultural preferences, primarily the desire to reside in houses as opposed to flats. According to the study, the high percentage of houses and the lower percentage of flats, particularly in urban areas, is a likely explanation for this inefficiency in utilising housing.
The absence of options for downsizing is also highlighted as a stumbling block for those looking to move into smaller accommodation later in life. The ESRI’s recent report reveals that an excessive 67.3% of citizens occupy unduly big houses – the third highest percentage in Europe, surpassed only by Malta and Cyprus. This number is twice the average for the European Union, which sits at 33.6%.
The term ‘under-occupied’ refers to a household that has surplus rooms beyond the essential amount as determined by the EU statistical agency, Eurostat. The Republic’s high rate of under-occupation is connected to the standard dimensions of dwellings, with around 73% consisting of more than two bedrooms. As a result, the Republic has one of the highest averages of rooms per person in Europe, showing a rate of 2.1 compared to the EU average of 1.6.
Individuals above 65 are often found to reside in under-occupied households, with the percentage sitting above 88%. This tendency is also common amidst higher-income brackets. Homeowners are more likely to live in oversized housing units compared to tenants. In 2022, nearly 80% of homeowners dwelt in under-occupied houses while only 38% of tenants did.
The ESRI report concludes with the recommendation of more high-rise developments to utilise smaller floor space more efficiently and incentives to construct smaller housing units as a solution to housing shortage.
The ESRI’s discoveries were reported following a recent study by the property site daft.ie. This report revealed that as of the start of March, the number of properties listed for sale on their platform had dropped below 10,500. This represented an unprecedented low in the company’s records, which have been tracking data since the start of 2007.