Italy’s housing market is being transformed not only by prices and interest rates, but by a deeper demographic shift – Italians are increasingly living in smaller households, while young buyers, singles and temporary renters are changing demand in the country’s largest cities.
Italy counted approximately 26.6 million households in 2024–2025, more than 4 million above the level recorded at the beginning of the 2000s. The increase does not reflect population growth. Instead, households have become progressively smaller. Single-person households now represent 37.1% of the national total, compared with 25.9% about 20 years ago.
