In the footsteps of sociodemographic predictors of European home ownership patterns

Alda B. Azevedo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and University of Lisbon
Julián López-Colás, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Juan Antonio Módenes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

This paper focuses on the relationship between population and home ownership aiming to identify patterns of similarity and diversity in 29 European countries through sociodemographic predictors. Making use of the EU-SILC micro-data of 2005 and 2009, a two-level approach is applied. At the macro level, a cluster analysis highlights homogeneous groups in the European context. At the micro level, using logistic modelling, the homogeneous and heterogeneous features in home ownership are explored and their consistency with the clustering results is tested. The results identified four homogeneous groups that give to Europe a particular configuration: a north-western group formed by clusters with low and medium-low home ownership rates and a south-eastern group composed of clusters with high and medium-high home ownership rates. In clusters with low and medium-low home ownership rates to ‘be owner’ is a matter of the temporal and economic evolution of the household. In clusters with high and medium-high home ownership rates, this tenure status is so widespread that its explanation requires information that is difficult to measure, such as the effect of public policies or family support in the provision of housing. Consequently, in the access to home ownership, these features play an important role, diluting the importance of income, educational attainment and dwelling type. Due to historical differences in housing markets, cohort effects turned age into a major element of heterogeneity.