Experts at The Perfect Rug recently conducted a study to rank countries with the biggest houses. The ranking is based on average square footage but the study also takes into consideration average household size per country as well as data for % of households by living members, overcrowding rate and % of homeowners. The data is collected from reports provided by World Population Review, Statista, Eurostat and official census data.
Findings summed up
| Country | Average square footage | Average size in m2 | Homeowners | Average household size | 1 person households | 2-3 person households | 4-5 person households | 6+ person household | Overcrowding rate |
| Australia | 2,303 | 214 | 66.3% | 2.50 | 24.3% | 49.9% | 22.4% | 3.2% | 3.10% |
| New Zealand | 2,174 | 202 | 64.5% | 2.67 | 22.80% | 50.50% | 22% | 4.50% | 10.80% |
| USA | 2,164 | 201 | 65.9% | 2.49 | 27.80% | 49.40% | 18.80% | 3.80% | 4.30% |
| Canada | 1,948 | 181 | 66.5% | 2.45 | 28.2% | 49.5% | 19.2% | 3.0% | 4.10% |
| Malta | 1722 | 160 | 81.9% | 2.85 | 17.10% | 49.70% | 30.40% | 2.60% | 2.40% |
| Cyprus | 1522 | 141.4 | 69.8% | 2.75 | 18.7% | 52.5% | 25.8% | 2.9% | 2.50% |
| Denmark | 1,475 | 137 | 59.2% | 2.1 | 39.90% | 44.20% | 14.40% | 1.20% | 8.60% |
| Mexico | 1,400 | 130 | 80% | 3.74 | 10% | 37.60% | 37.70% | 14.40% | 7.70% |
| Luxembourg | 1,359 | 126 | 71.1% | 2.41 | 32.30% | 44.10% | 21.40% | 2.10% | 5.7% |
| Greece | 1,356 | 126 | 73.3% | 2.44 | 27.4% | 49.8% | 21.2% | 1.4% | 17.80% |
The country with the biggest houses is Australia with an average 2,303 square-feet or 214 square-meters. Australia has an average household size of 2.5 people with 49.9% people living in 2-3 person households.
New Zealand takes the second place in the ranking of the countries with the biggest houses, averaging 2,174 square-feet per house. A little over 50% of the country live in 2-3 person households but New Zealand has much higher overcrowding rate of 10.8%, three times higher than Australia.
The United States follows closely with third place only 10 square-feet behind New Zealand. 65.9% of US citizens are homeowners, an average rate for the countries in the list.
Canada holds fourth place with 1,948 square-feet or 181 square-meters on average. Only 3% of Canadians live in households of 6 and more people but the overcrowding rate for the country is comparable with the US.
Malta is fifth in the ranking of the countries with the biggest houses with 81.9% of citizens owning a house, the highest rate in the top-10. While Malta has a higher average household size of 2.85 people, the country also has the lowest overcrowding rate with only 2.4%.
Cyprus takes sixth place with 1522 square-feet or 141.5 square-meters. Just as Malta, it has a low overcrowding rate, even though the average house size is 200 square-feet smaller. The homeownership rate is smaller than in Malta but is still high, compared to other countries in the list.
Denmark follows closely with seventh place and average houses of 137 square-meters. Denmark has the smallest household size in the ranking with 2.1 with almost 40% of the country living alone. Denmark also has the lowest home ownership rate with 59.2%, over 5% behind New Zealand.
Mexico is eighth with houses averaging 1,400 square-feet or 130 square-meters. Mexico has the second-highest home ownership rate with 80%, following closely behind Malta, but has an overcrowding problem, affecting over 7% of the population.
Luxembourg holds the ninth place with 126 square-meters. The country has a lower household size but 5.7% of the population still live in overcrowded houses.
Greece closes the ranking of the countries with the biggest houses with tenth place and 1356 square-feet on average, only 3 square-feet behind Luxembourg. There are more homeowners in Greece than in Luxembourg but Greece has the most overcrowded houses in the top-10 with 17.8%.
A spokesperson from The Perfect Rug commented on the study: “Secure housing is crucial and this study shows that the size of the house doesn’t directly lead to comfort. Overcrowding is a clear problem for many countries, Greece, New Zealand and Mexico among many. And solutions are different for each country and households, from governmental programs to smart interior design.”
