Analiza Storia: numărul de locuințe din București care nu sunt locuite a crescut de 2,4 ori în 10 ani

The report “Analiza Storia: numărul de locuințe din București care nu sunt locuite a crescut de 2,4 ori în 10 ani” is published by AGERPRES, Romania’s national news agency, and generated by artificial intelligence. It presents a detailed analysis of census data from 2011 and 2021, focusing on the rise of unoccupied dwellings across Romanian cities, with particular emphasis on Bucharest and its surrounding counties. The study is part of Storia’s broader effort to monitor housing markets and supports sustainable housing policy discussions at a European level.

Between the two censuses, the total number of housing units in Romania grew by 13.7 % to over 9.9 million. In the same period, unoccupied homes surged by 76.4 %, rising from 1.4 million to more than 2.5 million. This translates to roughly one quarter of all dwellings being empty in 2021, highlighting a significant mismatch between housing supply and occupancy that has implications for sustainability and efficient land use.

Bucharest’s housing stock increased by 22.6 % to approximately 1.04 million units. Unoccupied homes in the capital rose dramatically by 137.5 % to over 218 000 units, pushing the vacancy rate from 10.9 % in 2011 to 21.1 % in 2021. Although this rate remains lower than in some other major Romanian markets, it still represents a substantial pool of potential housing that could be mobilised to improve affordability and reduce urban sprawl.

• Ilfov County: Urban housing grew by 89 % to about 282 000 units, with unoccupied homes reaching 80 000, a vacancy share of 28.4 %.
• Iași County: Unoccupied dwellings tripled, reaching 127 092 units (31.3 % of the total), driven by rapid urban growth.
• Brașov, Constanța, Bihor: Each saw a doubling of vacant homes, with vacancy shares ranging from 22 % to 29.5 %.
• Cluj‑Napoca: Despite being the region with the lowest urban vacancy (19.3 %), it still exceeds Bucharest’s rate, indicating a nationwide trend.

During the same decade, average housing prices surged: Bucharest’s price per square metre rose by 70 % (≈ 2 000 EUR), while other cities such as Brașov and Sibiu experienced price doublings. High price growth alongside rising vacancy suggests speculative investment and under‑utilisation of existing stock, a concern for sustainable housing strategies.

The report identifies several drivers:

1. International and internal migration – workers abroad leaving homes empty, and rural‑to‑urban migration concentrating demand in major cities.
2. Demographic ageing and inheritance – properties left vacant after owners pass away.
3. Investment‑driven purchases – buyers acquiring assets for capital appreciation rather than habitation, often leaving them unoccupied.

The expanding pool of unoccupied dwellings offers an opportunity to increase housing availability without new construction, thereby reducing the environmental impact of building. Policymakers could consider incentives for owners to rent or sell vacant units, tax measures to discourage prolonged vacancy, and programmes to repurpose unused properties for affordable housing, co‑living, or energy‑efficient retrofits. Leveraging existing stock aligns with European Union objectives for resource efficiency and climate‑friendly urban development.

• Total Romanian dwellings (2021): > 9.9 million
• Unoccupied dwellings (2021): > 2.5 million (≈ 25 % of total)
• Bucharest vacancy rate (2021): 21.1 % (218 000 units)
• Ilfov urban vacancy: 28 % (≈ 36 000 units)
• Iași urban vacancy: 31.3 % (≈ 62 000 units)
• Price increase Bucharest (2019‑2025): +70 % (≈ 2 000 EUR/m²) These figures underscore the scale of under‑used housing across Romania and provide a factual basis for pan‑European stakeholders seeking sustainable, demand‑driven solutions to the housing challenge.