Compared with other European countries, the study found that housing units in the State were “on average bigger with fewer people living in them”. In other words, the Republic’s homes have more bedrooms than the occupants require.

This inefficient use of housing was attributed to “specific cultural norms”, most notably the preference to live in houses over apartments. “This circumstance is very likely a product of the high share of houses and small share of apartments, especially in the cities,” noted the study.