Servet Yanatma/Euronews
Fewer than seven in ten EU households live in owner-occupied homes. Euronews Business takes a closer look at the age at which Europeans buy their first home, which varies widely across the continent, based on exclusive data provided by RE/MAX.
In the EU, 68.5% of households live in owner-occupied homes as of 2025. This is 2.2 percentage points lower than in 2010. Home ownership rates vary widely, ranging from 47.2% in Germany to 93.8% in Slovakia, according to Eurostat.
So at what age do Europeans buy a home the earliest? In which countries can young people buy earliest? And what factors play a role in this?
Across 23 European countries, the average age of a first-time buyer is 31.3 years, according to the RE/MAX European Housing Trend Report 2025 survey. It ranges from 28 years in Malta to 34.7 years in Switzerland and Greece.
“While affordability often determines the age at which people buy, family support and cultural norms around renting also play important roles,” Michael Polzler, CEO at RE/MAX Europe, told Euronews Business.
Germans buy their first home 5 years later than the British
Among Europe’s five largest economies, the UK has the lowest average age for purchasing a first home at 28.4 years. It is also the joint second-lowest among all 23 countries, alongside Luxembourg (28.4 years).
The UK has one of the highest levels of family support among young adults according to the RE/MAX Europe survey. More than half (53%) of those aged 18–34 receive financial help through a cash gift or inheritance.
“This may help explain why some in the UK are able to become homeowners at a younger age,” Polzler said.
Germany has the highest average age among the five, at 33.6 years, meaning people in Germany buy their first home 5.2 years later than those in the UK.
Renting is much more widely accepted in Germany
“In Germany, renting is much more widely accepted as a long-term housing choice, with its stronger tenant protections and greater housing stability,” Polzler said. As a result, many young adults don’t see buying as the natural next step after leaving the family home.
Among German survey respondents aged 18–34, 69% said they currently rent their home, compared with 38% of European respondents in the same age group.
Spain has the second-earliest average age at 30.9 years. In both France (32.5 years) and Italy (32.8 years), the average age is above the European average.
Family support matters
The CEO of RE/MAX Europe noted that in Italy and Spain, it’s common for young adults to stay in the family home until the age of 26 — three years later than the European average — which helps them to save for their first property but, in turn, often delays the transition into homeownership.
In France, young adults typically move out at the European average age of 23, but family support in buying is less common than elsewhere. Just a third (33%) receive a cash gift or inheritance to help them purchase a property, compared with almost half (48%) across Europe overall.
“This lower level of family assistance may be one reason why many French buyers take longer to get onto the property ladder,” Polzler said.
Turkey ranks third with an average age of 34.1. It is also above the European average in Czechia (33.2), Poland (32.7), Bulgaria (32.5), Slovenia (32.2), and Croatia (32.1).
In contrast, Hungary (28.5) and the Netherlands (28.8) complete the top five earliest.
Austria (29.1), Portugal (29.8), and Finland (29.9) also see first-time buyers purchasing before the age of 30. Ireland (30.8) is just below the European average.
Two in five in the UK buy their first home by 25
The data also shows the distribution of age groups at the time of first home purchase. In the 18–25 age group, the UK has the highest share at 40.2%, meaning two in five buyers purchase their first home by the age of 25.
Greece has the lowest rate, at 12.1%, for this youngest age group
Greece, Switzerland and Turkey: The latest first-time buyers
When the 18–25 and 26–35 age groups are combined, only 50.4% of people in Greece buy their first home by 35, meaning almost half do so after the age of 35.
Switzerland (53.2%) and Turkey (56%) also have among the lowest shares of first-time buyers by age 35.
The European average is 69.5%, meaning around seven in ten people across these 23 countries buy their first home by 35.
This rate exceeds 80% in Luxembourg (87.8%), the Netherlands (85.2%), the UK (84.6%) and Hungary (82.8%).
No correlation between buying age and home ownership rates
Euronews Business found no correlation between the average age of buying a first home and home ownership rates. Age data comes from the RE/MAX survey, while ownership rates are sourced from Eurostat in the chart above.
The RE/MAX survey included over 21,000 adults, with a base of more than 13,000 respondents for the question on the age of first home purchase.
Europe faces a housing crisis driven by rising house prices and increasing housing costs, according to the European Commission.
