According to updated data from the Federal Statistical Office, the average size of German residents’ living space is getting larger, despite a severe housing shortage in many German cities.
More than two million apartments have been added to the German real estate market over the past 10 years, but this seems to have done little to alleviate the ongoing housing crisis. Part of the explanation for this curious phenomenon can be found in new data from the Federal Statistical Office: while the average household size in Germany is decreasing, the average apartment size is actually increasing.
The figures are as follows: in 2019, apartments in Germany averaged 91.9 square meters, which is 47 square meters per inhabitant. This means that since 2010, living space per apartment has increased by one square meter and per inhabitant by two square meters.
Ten years ago, the living space per resident was 45 square meters; in 2018, it was 46.7 square meters. This gradual increase is especially evident when you consider the long-term trend: at the turn of the millennium, the average was only 39.5 square meters per person.
