Rising property prices across the EU are pushing young Europeans to move in with partners earlier or marry to combine finances, as single people struggle to afford housing, a survey has found.
Some 37% of people living alone now believe they will never be able to buy a home, according to research among more than 20,000 people in 23 EU member states conducted by property company RE/MAX and shared exclusively with Euronews.
Property prices surged 5.4% in the second quarter of 2025 after a brief dip in 2023, according to Eurostat data. The rising costs are increasingly excluding single people from both the housing market and rental opportunities, Euronews reported.
Entering a relationship leading to cohabitation has emerged as a practical shortcut to home ownership, cited by 26% of respondents planning to buy property as their third most common solution to the housing crisis intensifying across the Union. The proportion was highest in the Netherlands and Portugal, both at 33%.
Many Europeans appear to be accelerating cohabitation timelines. Some 13% of couples in Europe move in together after just six months, whilst 26% do so within a year, according to the survey.
“The economic situation is shaping not only where people live, but with whom they live,” said RE/MAX Europe chief executive Michael Polzler. “Whilst rising housing costs continue to affect everyone, those without a partner or shared income face greater difficulty in acquiring housing.”
However, many other Europeans are considering geography instead of relationships. Some 14% said moving to a cheaper area could be the route to buying a home, a strategy more common in Germany at 20%.
Salary emerged as the number one barrier to acquiring housing, cited by 58% of respondents, with higher rates in Poland at 66% and Hungary at 67%, according to the survey.
Single people own far less property than peers in relationships or married. Whilst 72% of people in couples own the home they live in, that figure falls to 49% amongst people living alone.
The gap between countries is even more pronounced. Home ownership rates amongst those living alone are significantly low in Switzerland at 17%, Germany at 19% and Malta at 15%.
Estimated housing costs for Europeans living alone average 36% of their income, including bills. In Germany it reaches 42% of a single person’s income and in Czechia exceeds 45%. In Italy, France and Spain it stands at around 33%.
Lithuania is the most affordable place to live alone in Europe according to the survey, where less than a quarter of salary goes towards housing.
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