France, Sept. 26 -- In many major European cities, housing affordability has deteriorated sharply since 2020. House prices across the European Union have risen by more than 60 percent since 2013, while rents have climbed by around 20 percent.

On average in 2024, EU households spent 19 percent of their disposable income on housing according Eurostat.

Greece recorded the highest housing costs, with more than a quarter of residents spending at least 40 percent of their disposable income on housing, with an average of 29 percent in cities, followed by Denmark where the average was 22 percent in cities.

Cyprus reported the lowest costs, with people spending just 2.6 percent of their income on lodging.

The EU's Affordable Housing Act (AHA i...