Home Ownership by Country 2024

1. Laos

Surprisingly, Laos has the highest homeownership rate in the world. In a 2015 study, researchers found that 95.9% of the residential buildings were owned by the occupants in a measured residential area, leaving only 4.1% of the facilities available to citizens renting their dwellings.

2. Romania

Romania has the second highest homeownership rate in the world. In the most recent study conducted in 2021, nearly 95.3% of all buildings in a residential area were owned, leaving just 4.7% of the residential area open to renters.

3. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan comes in third, as a 2018 study reveals a homeownership rate of 95%. This leaves a mere 5% of the properties in residential areas rented.

4. Slovakia

This eastern European country is home to one of the highest homeownership rates in the world. The most recent study, conducted in 2021, found that the occupants owned 92.9% of all the buildings in a designated residential area. Only 7.1% of the buildings in Slovakia were inhabited by people renting the property.

5. Hungary

Another European country, Hungary, also has one of the highest homeownership rates in the world. In 2021, researchers measured a 91.7% homeownership rate in residential areas. This statistic leaves only 8.3% of residential units to renters.

6. Croatia

Croatia has the fourth highest homeownership rate in Europe and sixth in the world. In the residential areas studied, scientists found that the property owners occupied 90.5% of the residential buildings.

7. Vietnam

In a 2020 survey, 90% of the buildings in the studied area of Vietnam were inhabited by the owners. This data ties Vietnam with Cuba and North Macedonia for the 7th place on the list of countries with the highest homeownership globally.

8. Cuba

In Cuba, the most recent study on homeownership was conducted in 2014. Statistics show that in the residential areas measured, 90% of the buildings were inhabited by the property owners. This statistic means that renters occupied only 10% of the properties in the residential area.

9. North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, data as recent as 2016 also indicates that 90% of the residential properties are occupied by their owners, just like in Cuba and Vietnam.

10. China

Rounding out the list, China has an homeownership rate of 89.68%, according to 2018 data, leaving only about 10.32% of properties to be rented.

Honorable Mentions

13. Lithuania

In 2021, scientists conducted a survey to determine the homeownership rate in this European country. The occupants owned nearly 89% of the residential buildings within the measured area. This statistical data means that 11% of the buildings were designated rentals.

Where Does Home Ownership Stem From?

Homeownership does not always have to come from a traditional purchase or sale of a residential property. In many countries, homeownership has been defined as a newly constructed building with the builders' intent to occupy the dwelling. In most homeownership studies, the residential dwelling was inherited from other family members, allowing homeownership to be passed down from one generation to the next in a designated residential area.