The proportion of unoccupied dwellings in Germany was 8.2% in 2018. This is shown by the additional quarterly housing survey of the microcensus. In this survey, all dwellings are considered unoccupied which are not inhabited at the time of the survey (including those which are temporarily not inhabited because of a residential move), even if they are rented out at the time. The relevant assessment is made by the interviewers. This figure differs from the number of vacant dwellings recorded in the Census of Buildings and Housing. In this census, information on the number of vacant dwellings is collected from the owners and managers of residential property for a certain reference date. The vacancy rate according to the 2011 Census of Buildings and Housing was 4.4%. Dwellings which are not inhabited, for instance, because of alterations or renovations – while the tenancy continues – are not considered vacant on the reference day. Dwellings are only regarded as vacant if so indicated by the owner. Due to these methodological differences, the proportion of unoccupied dwellings in the microcensus differs from the vacancy rate in the Census of Buildings and Housing. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings in the microcensus was also referred to as vacancy rate until survey year 2014.
| Land | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||||
1: In the additional microcensus survey, dwellings are considered as unoccupied if they are not occupied when the survey is conducted, even if they are rented out at the time. This assessment is made by the interviewers. Results of the additional microcensus survey of 2018. | ||||||
| Germany | 7.5 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 8.2 |
| Baden-Württemberg | 6.5 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 6.8 |
| Bayern | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.7 |
| Berlin | 8.6 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.8 |
| Brandenburg | 11.2 | 13.1 | 11.5 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 9.5 |
| Bremen | 5.0 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 6.8 | 8.1 |
| Hamburg | 4.2 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 5.6 |
| Hessen | 5.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.8 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 11.3 | 11.8 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 9.3 |
| Niedersachsen | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 6.5 |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | 6.2 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 9.1 | 7.5 | 8.1 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 6.5 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 9.8 |
| Saarland | 6.0 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 10.1 | 7.9 | 11.1 |
| Sachsen | 16.8 | 17.5 | 14.6 | 13.9 | 14.2 | 12.7 |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | 14.4 | 16.9 | 16.6 | 15.0 | 13.2 | 15.5 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.8 |
| Thüringen | 9.3 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 10.2 |
As at 11 January 2021