Albanian families live "cramped"/ Eurostat: More than half of the population in overcrowded housing
At a time when the issue of housing is becoming increasingly central to social debates, the latest Eurostat data for 2024 place Albania in a position that requires particular attention. More than half of the population lives in overcrowded housing, the highest percentage among all countries analyzed. This reality, which affects the way Albanians live, work and raise their families, clearly speaks of a profound social and economic challenge.
If we look at Albania compared to the countries of the European Union, the difference is significant. The EU average in 2024 stands at 16.9%, a much lower level than that of our country. Even countries that traditionally face housing difficulties, such as Romania (40.7%), Serbia (46.6%) or Turkey (38.2%), remain below the Albanian figure. Meanwhile, Bulgaria (33.8%), Croatia (31.7%) and Poland (33.7%) present lower rates, showing that even countries with more moderate incomes have managed to curb overpopulation.
At the other end of the European spectrum are the best-performing countries: Cyprus with just 2.4% overcrowding, Malta with 4.4% and the Netherlands with 4.6%. These countries, as well as Norway (5.8%), Ireland (5.0%) and Switzerland (7.6%), show that sustainable housing policies and high welfare standards directly impact quality of life.
The latest Census data further deepens the picture of overpopulation in Albania, clearly showing that families with many members are the ones most severely affected by the lack of sufficient space. Of the 726 thousand inhabited dwellings, the majority of houses with 4 and especially with 5 or more people are found in the relatively small surface area category. For example, over 67 thousand families with 5+ members live in dwellings of only 40-69 m², while almost 40 thousand others live in houses of 70-99 m², a space that is often far from the real needs of a large family.
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