Over 96.7 percent of Kosovars own homes – only 42.6 percent of Swiss

In the Balkans, the vast majority of people live in homes they own, reflecting a strong tradition of private property that has deep historical and cultural roots in this region.

In most Balkan countries, over 90% of the population own their homes, a percentage much higher than the European average.

According to TRT Balkan, Kosovo and Albania stand at the top of this list, with ownership levels exceeding 95%, indicating a strong connection of citizens to real estate and a tendency to ensure economic and family stability through home ownership.

This reality is in stark contrast to that of many wealthy Western European countries, where rental living is the dominant norm.

According to In countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, a large portion of the population chooses or is forced to live in rental housing, due to developed housing markets, social policies, and high property purchase costs. In these countries, owning a home is often not seen as a necessity, but as an individual choice or financial investment.

This major difference between the Balkans and Western Europe is also related to historical and economic factors. In the Balkans, transition processes after the fall of communism often involved massive privatization of housing, giving citizens ownership of the apartments they lived in. Meanwhile, in the West, the state has had a greater role in providing social housing and regulating the rental market.

See below a concrete comparison between the Balkan countries and those of Western Europe, which clearly reflects this great divide in the way housing is provided.