Number of dwellings per 1,000 citizens in Belgium and Netherlands 2016
In Europe, the supply of houses struggles to keep pace with the demand. The index for building permits issued in France for the construction of residential real estate decreased to 108.6 points in 2001 and to 81.6 in 2015, whilst the total number of building permits in Belgium shows the same development, but the rate increased again in 2016 when compared to 2015. In some major cities in Europe, the demand for (temporary) housing is even higher due to the presence of Airbnb.