In Europe, individuals who live in a house generally also have access to a garden. For those in an apartment, far less often. A country's predominant housing type, therefore, largely determines how many people have access to a private garden.

Across the EU, roughly one in two people still live in a house (51.4%). However, the range is broad. In Ireland, 90% of people live in houses, while in Switzerland it is just 34%. Germany, at 38.5%, sits near the bottom.

Housing patterns don't change overnight, of course, but over the past 15 years, a clear trend has emerged: Europe's share of house-dwellers is declining, slowly but steadily.

In 2010, houses led apartments by 8.3 percentage points; by 2024, the gap had narrowed to just 3.5 percentage points. At this pace, apartments could overtake houses as Europe's dominant housing type by the 2030s.

The countries where this shift is most visible are highlighted in the next chart:

Malta, Portugal, and Norway recorded the steepest declines since 2010, at −14.3, −11.5, and −10 percentage points (pp) respectively. Germany follows in fifth place at −6.5 pp.

But there are exceptions. In several Eastern European countries, the trend runs in the opposite direction.

Poland (+5.4 pp), Slovakia (+4.3 pp), Estonia and Hungary (+3.7 pp each), and North Macedonia (+3.0 pp) are experiencing a wave of suburbanization, with people realizing the dream of owning a house that much of the West is in the process of losing.

In 2010, 45% of the population still lived in houses. By 2024, it became 38.5%, a 6.5 percentage point decline, making Germany's drop the fifth-largest in Europe.

One might assume that Germany's high apartment share is simply because most Germans live in cities. However, data reveal that even in rural areas, a surprisingly high percentage of the population lives in apartments.

In rural Germany, only about 61% of people live in houses. The EU average for rural areas is 83%. Germany is designed for multi-story housing, even in areas where single-family homes are more common across Europe.

The declining share of house-dwellers does not affect everyone equally. Who lives in a house in Germany today is also a question of income.

Data from the Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt) shows a clear gradient:

• € Among households with a monthly net income below 1,500 euros, only about one in five (22%) live in a house.
• €€ At an income between 2,000 and 3,000 euros, roughly one in three (33%).
• €€€ Only above 4,000 euros net does the balance tip. In this group, the majority (56%) live in a house.

But income alone doesn't explain everything. Many people consciously choose urban life: short commutes, culture, infrastructure, and with that, an apartment rather than a house. What is changing is not just who can afford a house, but also how people want to live.

Whether by choice or financial necessity, the longing for one's own green space remains, and that is precisely why Germans have found ways to secure a piece of nature even without owning a house.

Allotment Gardens: A Scarce Legacy

The allotment garden is as quintessentially German as few other institutions. Of the roughly 885,000 plots in Germany, 50% are located in eastern Germany, even though only 15% of the population lives there. This historical imbalance remains visible to this day.

In Leipzig, there are 637 plots per 10,000 residents; in Stuttgart, just 49. Anyone looking for a plot in western Germany often spends years on a waiting list.

Overall, only about 7% of the population has access to an allotment garden. The long waiting lists in major western German cities make it clear: allotment gardens alone cannot close the gap.

The Balcony: Germany's Green Living Room

For most Germans, the balcony is the most accessible form of private outdoor space. Around 67% of households have a balcony or terrace, far more than those who have their own garden.

On just a few square meters, remarkable creativity unfolds: flower boxes, herb beds, and small seating arrangements transform the balcony into a personal retreat.

But even this retreat comes at a price. In the 14 largest German cities, an apartment with a balcony costs up to 40 euros more per month in rent. In Berlin, the share of listed apartments with a balcony is 71%; in Essen, just 47%.

The share of people living in houses is declining faster in Germany than in almost any other EU country. And the trend is Europe-wide. By the 2030s, apartments could overtake houses as the continent's dominant housing type.

But the longing for private green space endures. Whether garden, allotment, or city balcony, Germans will not be parted from their green space. Even as the traditional house garden becomes a reality for fewer and fewer people, one thing is clear: Germans find ways to create a piece of nature, even in the smallest of spaces.