Living space: Differences between generations
For several decades, the amount of living space per capita in Germany has been rising steadily. The later a person is born, the more living space they have at their disposal. For example, at the same age, people born in 1990 live in an average of 10 percent more living space than those born in 1970.
This is not because people have greater wealth. Rather, expectations regarding the size of one’s own living space have increased. At the same time, people over the age of 61 are increasingly stating that their living space is too large. This is shown by data from the “Leben in Deutschland” study since the mid-2000s.
It is questionable whether society can meet these increased expectations. If this is a case of “overconsumption” of living space, regulatory measures could help. Low-income households are specifically suffering from the significant increase in housing costs. Reversing this trend could ease the situation.