{
  "id": 17347889,
  "title": "Where in Europe do people spend over 40% of their income on housing?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/where-in-europe-do-people-spend-over-40-of-their-income-on-housing",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-31T05:46:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews Business",
    "slug": "euronews-business",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/31/where-in-europe-do-households-spend-more-than-40-of-their-income-on-housing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the European Union, housing costs are taking a significant toll on people's finances. According to Eurostat, the average housing cost overburden rate in 2025 was 7.7%, meaning that on average, people spend less than 8% of their disposable income on housing. However, this figure varies greatly across different countries. Greece, for instance, has the highest rate at 26.4%, meaning that more than a quarter of its population is struggling to afford housing. This is more than three times the EU average. Denmark, Germany, and Sweden also have rates above the EU average, at 14.7%, 11.2%, and 10.8% respectively. In contrast, Cyprus has the lowest rate, with only 2.4% of its population experiencing this burden. The situation is also dire in Switzerland and Norway, where 15.3% and 13.5% of people, respectively, are affected. The disparity in housing cost overburden rates is not just a matter of geography, but also of economic and welfare systems. The impact on households also varies significantly, with some countries offering more financial support to those struggling to pay their rent.",
  "summary": "Housing costs take up more than 40% of disposable income for millions of Europeans. Euronews Business takes a closer look at which countries are hit hardest, with experts explaining the drivers.",
  "key_points": [
    "Greece has the highest housing cost overburden rate at 26.4%",
    "Denmark, Germany, and Sweden have rates above the EU average",
    "Cyprus has the lowest rate, with only 2.4% of its population affected"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Wide disparities in housing affordability across the continent suggest that national economic and welfare systems are the primary factors determining how much financial pressure households face from rent and property costs.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}