Living alone has become one of the defining lifestyle trends in modern Europe. Yet in many major cities, flatsharing in Europe remains the default way to live.
The reason is simple — housing costs.
Across the European Union, the average household still consists of about 2.3 people, according to Eurostat. At the same time, the number of single-person households has grown steadily over the past decade. More people want to live independently, but urban housing markets often make that difficult.
And here’s the tension.
In cities such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona or Paris, renting alone can absorb a large share of a typical salary. As a result, sharing a flat remains one of the most common ways for students and young professionals to manage the cost of living in European cities.
This is why sharing a flat in Europe is not just a temporary phase for many residents. In some housing markets, it has effectively become a long-term urban lifestyle.
Disclaimer
The information provided on Finorum is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, housing, or legal advice. While we aim to use reliable data sources and accurate analysis, economic conditions, housing markets, and living costs can vary significantly across countries and cities. Readers should conduct their own research and consider their personal financial circumstances before making housing, relocation, or financial decisions. Finorum does not promote or endorse specific financial products, housing providers, or investment strategies.
The Rise of Single-Person Households in Europe
Living arrangements in Europe have been changing quietly for years. Smaller households are becoming the norm across much of the continent.
According to Eurostat, the European Union counted nearly 202 million private households in 2024, and a large share of them consisted of just one adult. Single-person households have expanded steadily over the past decade and are already the most common household type in many EU countries.
The social shift is gradual — but unmistakable.
At the same time, the typical household has not grown larger to absorb this trend. Quite the opposite.
Eurostat data show that the average household size across the EU remains around 2.3 people, a figure that has stayed remarkably stable for years. In several Northern and Western European countries — including Germany, Denmark and Finland — the average household is close to two people.
And here’s the interesting part.
More Europeans are living alone, yet the structure of urban housing markets has not fully adapted to this demographic shift. Apartments in major cities are still often designed and priced with multiple occupants in mind. When a single person tries to occupy that same space, the cost structure changes dramatically.
This tension between demographic change and housing economics helps explain why flatsharing in Europe continues to play such a large role in everyday urban life.
Why Do So Many People Share Flats in European Cities?
The main reason flatsharing remains common in European cities is simple: housing costs are high relative to incomes.
In many large urban housing markets, renting a one-bedroom apartment requires a substantial share of a typical salary. For someone living alone, that means covering the full cost of rent, utilities, internet and other fixed expenses from a single income.
Shared housing changes that calculation immediately.
When two or three people share the same apartment, many of the largest costs — especially rent and fixed utilities — are divided. What might be unaffordable for a single tenant can suddenly become manageable when expenses are shared between several residents.
And that difference is often decisive.
In cities such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris, shared apartments have become a practical solution for students, young professionals and even mid-career workers navigating expensive housing markets.
In that sense, sharing a flat in Europe is not simply a lifestyle preference. In many urban housing markets, it has become an economic adaptation to rising rents and limited housing supply.
Housing Costs Are the Main Reason People Share Flats
Housing costs have become one of the defining constraints in many European urban housing markets. Over the past decade, rents in many major European cities have risen steadily, often faster than wages.
For single earners, that imbalance matters.
A one-bedroom apartment that might seem manageable for two tenants can quickly become expensive when only one income covers the entire rent. Once utilities, heating, internet and other household expenses are added, the total monthly cost can absorb a large portion of disposable income.
And this is where shared housing becomes economically attractive.
By splitting rent between two or three residents, the largest fixed costs of housing are distributed across multiple incomes. The overall apartment price may remain high, but the cost per person falls significantly.
Urban housing markets reinforce this dynamic.
In many European cities, the supply of small, affordable apartments remains limited, while demand from students, young professionals and international workers continues to grow. Shared apartments therefore fill a gap between expensive single rentals and limited housing availability.
This is why flatsharing in Europe remains closely linked to housing affordability. As rents rise and urban populations expand, shared living often becomes the most practical way to balance independence with financial reality.
European Cities Where Flatsharing Is Still the Norm
Across Europe, the popularity of shared apartments varies from city to city. Yet in many major urban centres, flatsharing remains a normal part of everyday housing life.
Berlin offers a clear example. The German capital has long had a culture of Wohngemeinschaften — shared apartments where several tenants divide rent and household expenses. Rising housing demand over the past decade has reinforced this model, particularly among younger professionals and international residents moving to the city.
A similar pattern can be seen in Amsterdam, where high rents and limited housing supply have made shared living a common solution for students and early-career workers. Even residents with stable incomes often choose to share an apartment rather than rent alone.
Southern Europe shows the same dynamic.
In Barcelona and Madrid, shared flats are widely used by both students and young professionals navigating competitive rental markets. Apartments designed for multiple occupants are common, and room-by-room rentals have become a common part of the rental market.
Central European cities follow a similar trend.
In Prague, for example, international students, young professionals and digital workers frequently rely on shared housing when relocating to the city. Renting a room in a shared apartment often represents the most accessible entry point into the local housing market.
And the pattern repeats.
Across much of urban Europe, sharing a flat remains one of the most practical ways to manage rising housing costs while maintaining access to city life.
The Economics of Shared Living
From an economic perspective, shared housing reflects a simple principle: household costs do not scale evenly with the number of residents.
Many of the largest expenses associated with housing — including rent, internet connections and building maintenance — remain largely fixed, while others increase only modestly when additional residents share the same apartment. When these costs are divided between multiple residents, the financial burden per person falls significantly.
Economists often describe this dynamic as household economies of scale.
Two people sharing an apartment rarely double household expenses. The rent for the property remains the same, and many utility costs increase only modestly rather than proportionally with the number of residents. As a result, the cost per person declines as more residents share the same space.
This is precisely why shared living remains financially attractive in expensive housing markets.
In cities where rents have increased faster than incomes in many major European cities, splitting housing costs can turn an otherwise unaffordable apartment into a manageable monthly expense. For many residents navigating competitive urban housing markets, shared apartments offer a practical way to balance financial constraints with access to city life.
In other words, flatsharing in Europe is not only a social arrangement — it is also an economic strategy.
Why Young Professionals Still Share Apartments
Flatsharing in Europe is often associated with students. But in many cities, young professionals have become an increasingly common group living in shared apartments.
The reason is partly economic, but also practical.
Early-career workers typically face a combination of moderate starting salaries and high urban living costs. Renting a private apartment immediately after entering the labour market can therefore be financially difficult, particularly in cities where housing demand is strong.
Shared housing offers a flexible alternative.
By renting a room in a shared apartment, young professionals can access central urban neighbourhoods that might otherwise be too expensive. Living with roommates also reduces financial pressure during the first years of a career, when incomes are still developing.
There is another factor as well.
Modern labour markets are increasingly mobile. Many young professionals move between cities or countries for work, education or internships. Shared apartments provide a relatively flexible housing arrangement compared with long-term leases or purchasing property.
For this reason, renting with roommates has become a common stage in early urban careers across much of Europe.
In many major cities, flatsharing is no longer limited to students. It has become part of the broader housing ecosystem for young professionals building their careers in competitive urban economies.
How Housing Markets Influence Flatsharing in European Cities
Living arrangements rarely evolve in isolation. They tend to follow the structure of local housing markets.
In cities where rental supply is limited and demand continues to grow, housing prices tend to rise. When that happens, households begin to adapt their living arrangements to the economic reality of the market.
Shared housing is one of the clearest examples of this adjustment.
In many European urban centres, the supply of small, affordable apartments has not kept pace with population growth and rising demand from students, young professionals and international workers. As a result, larger apartments are often occupied by multiple unrelated tenants who share rent and household expenses.
And this pattern is not unique to one country.
Across Northern, Western, Southern and Central Europe, similar dynamics can be observed. Different housing policies and rental systems may shape the details of each market, but the underlying economic logic remains strikingly consistent.
When urban housing becomes expensive relative to incomes, shared living arrangements tend to expand.
Flatsharing therefore reflects more than personal preference. In many European cities, it is a structural outcome of how housing markets function — and how residents adapt to them.
Conclusion
Flatsharing in Europe is often treated as a temporary phase of student life. In many cities, that assumption no longer reflects reality.
Urban housing markets have changed faster than living patterns. While the number of people living alone continues to grow, the cost of renting an apartment in major European cities has risen to levels that many single incomes struggle to support.
That gap matters.
When housing costs absorb a large share of monthly income, living alone becomes difficult to sustain. Shared apartments fill that gap by spreading fixed housing costs across several residents — a simple economic adjustment to expensive urban housing.
And that adjustment is now deeply embedded in city life.
Across Europe’s largest urban centres, flatsharing is no longer just a stepping stone for students. In many cases, it has become the practical compromise between independence and affordability in modern European housing markets.
Key Takeaways
• Flatsharing remains widespread in many European cities.
High housing costs mean shared apartments are still one of the most common urban living arrangements.
• Living alone is becoming more common — but also more expensive.
The number of single-person households continues to rise across the EU.
• Housing costs drive shared living.
In many major cities, renting a private apartment can consume a large share of a single income.
• Shared housing reduces the cost per person.
Splitting rent and fixed household expenses makes urban living more financially manageable.
• Flatsharing is no longer limited to students.
Young professionals increasingly rely on shared apartments during the early stages of their careers.
• Urban housing markets shape how people live.
Where rents rise faster than incomes, shared living becomes a practical adjustment rather than a lifestyle choice.
Methodology
This article combines demographic indicators and housing market dynamics to explain why flatsharing remains common in many European cities.
The analysis draws on household composition and housing cost data to illustrate how rising housing costs and changing household structures influence living arrangements across Europe. Particular attention is given to the growth of single-person households and the relatively small average household size observed across the European Union.
Examples from major European cities are used to illustrate how shared housing functions in practice within urban rental markets. These examples highlight the relationship between housing affordability, rental market conditions and the continued prevalence of shared apartments.
Because housing markets vary widely between cities and neighbourhoods, the examples presented in this article should be interpreted as illustrative comparisons rather than precise measures of housing affordability.
Sources
Primary data sources used in this analysis:
Eurostat
Average household size – ilc_lvph01
Household composition statistics
Housing cost overburden rate – tespm140
Eurostat Interactive Publication
Housing in Europe – 2025 edition
Numbeo – rental market listings and housing cost indicators
Data accessed: March 2026
The analysis combines recent Eurostat demographic indicators with illustrative rental market observations from major European cities to explain structural trends in shared living arrangements across urban housing markets.
FAQ – Flatsharing in Europe
Flatsharing is common in many European cities primarily because housing costs are high relative to incomes. Renting a private apartment often requires a large share of a single salary, especially in major urban markets. By sharing an apartment, residents can divide rent and other fixed household costs, making housing more financially manageable.
Yes. In many European cities, sharing a flat is a normal part of urban living, particularly among students and young professionals. High housing demand and limited rental supply often make shared apartments one of the most practical ways to access city housing.
Young professionals often share apartments because early-career salaries may not fully cover the cost of renting alone in major cities. Shared housing allows them to live in central neighbourhoods while splitting rent, utilities and other fixed household expenses.
In most cases, yes. Shared housing reduces the cost per person because rent and many household expenses are divided between multiple residents. This principle is known as household economies of scale, where the average cost decreases as more people share the same household.
Flatsharing is particularly common in cities with high rents and strong housing demand. Examples include Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris and Prague, where shared apartments are widely used by students, young professionals and international residents.
Renting alone can be expensive because housing costs such as rent, utilities and internet must be paid by a single income. In many large European cities, rising rents combined with limited housing supply make single-person households financially difficult to sustain.
In some cities, yes. While flatsharing is often associated with students, many young professionals continue living in shared apartments during the early stages of their careers, especially in expensive urban housing markets.
Iva Buće is a Master of Economics specializing in digital marketing and logistics. She combines analytical thinking with creativity to make financial and investment topics accessible to a broader audience. At Finorum, she focuses on translating complex economic concepts into clear, practical insights for everyday readers and investors.
Sources & References
EU regulations & taxation
- European Commission / Taxation & Customs — Household composition statistics
- Housing in Europe – 2025 edition
- ilc_lvph01
- tespm140
