The share of income spent on rent in Germany remained largely stable between 2014 and 2023. This is the central finding of a recent study by the property owners’ association Haus & Grund Deutschland. There were cases where the burden exceeded 30 per cent, for example for people living alone after moving to metropolitan areas such as Berlin and Munich. These were exceptions, however.
Rent burden for families
The study found that rental costs for families have remained stable in recent years. The proportion of household income spent on rent fell slightly from 15.2 per cent in 2014 to 14.8 per cent in 2023. In rural regions, families often have to spend less than 10 per cent of their income on rent. The rent burden remains higher in urban areas, but averages less than twenty per cent, which is still considered manageable.
The rent burden for families generally rises after a move. On average, it amounts to 20.6 per cent of household income after moving, rising to 25.4 per cent in large cities. The burden after a move remains more moderate in rural areas.
Regional differences in the rent burden for families
In 2023, rural regions such as Olpe and Höxter in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia were among the most affordable places for couples with children, with a rent burden of less than 10 per cent. Regions such as Südwestpfalz and Siegen-Wittgenstein also had low burdens. By contrast, large cities and economically strong regions such as Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Hamburg and Potsdam had higher rent burdens of more than 21 per cent, reflecting the clear urban-rural divide.
Rent burden for people living alone
In 2023, the proportion of income that people living alone had to spend on rent was around 20.6 per cent. In some rural regions, this share was even below 15 per cent, while in large cities it averaged around 24 per cent.
People living alone face a higher rent burden after moving. Rental costs then rise to around 28 per cent of income, and as much as 33.2 per cent in the Munich area and Hamburg. In particularly tight urban markets such as Munich or Berlin, where demand significantly exceeds supply, the burden after moving can even exceed 40 per cent of income.