Countries that build more pay less rent

Housing affordability vs homes built

Each dot is a country: the median rent-to-income ratio across its cities on Nomads.com, against the homes it built per 1,000 people in the past decade. Correlation r = -0.24 across 34 countries • remove outliers

European cities where rent takes the biggest share of local pay

Average rent for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre, as % of the average net monthly salary • cities over 500,000 people •under 40%40–60%over 60%

Source: Nomads.com cost of living data. Rent and salary are compared in each city’s own currency.

New homes built per 1,000 people in the past decade

Estimated dwellings completed per 1,000 inhabitants over the 10 years up to each country’s latest reported year •50+30–50under 30

Source: Nomads.com analysis of the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HM1.1. The OECD reports completions only around 2011, 2018 and 2022, so the decade figure interpolates between those years, so treat it as an estimate. The United Kingdom row covers England only.

New homes built per 1,000 people, latest year

Dwellings completed per 1,000 inhabitants in each country’s latest reported year (2018 or later) •5+3–5under 3

Source: Nomads.com analysis of the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HM1.1, dwellings completed divided by population in the year shown. The United Kingdom row covers England only.