Many countries across the world are struggling with recession and housing crises in 2024.
One country, in particular, is experiencing a notable paradox in its housing market: despite a high demand for housing, around 1.9 million apartments are currently unoccupied across Germany.
This figure, corresponding to a 4.3 percent vacancy rate, was reported by the Federal Statistical Office based on data from May 15, as cited by Tagesschau.
Major Cities with High Vacancy Rates
Berlin alone has over 40,000 vacant apartments, while Munich has more than 20,000. Other large cities also report significant numbers of empty residences:
Hamburg: Just under 20,000 empty apartments.
Leipzig: Close to 20,000 empty apartments.
Dresden: Around 13,000 empty apartments.
Smaller cities have lower vacancy numbers, such as:
Erfurt: About 5,000 vacant apartments.
Tübingen: Approximately 1,000 vacant apartments.
Marburg: Around 1,000 vacant apartments.
Long-Term Vacancies
More than half of these vacant apartments (55 percent) have been unoccupied for over a year. Only 38 percent of the empty apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy within the next three months.
In city-states like Hamburg, Bremen, and Berlin, the percentage of quickly available apartments is higher, ranging from 52 to 61 percent.
So why are all these apartments left empty?
The reasons for this are varied, but some of the explanations may be:
Construction or renovation work is planned for nearly one in four vacant apartments (24 percent).
Only four percent of the empty apartments are slated for demolition.
Seven percent are to be sold or used by the owners themselves.
The data comes from the 2022 census, which included information from approximately 23 million property owners and 8,000 housing companies.
