Corrected 2017-02-20
Households in rented dwellings spend largest share of their income on housing
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2016-12-13 9.30
In 2015, households in rented dwellings spent about 28 percent of their disposable incomes on housing. Households in owner-occupied apartments spent 21 percent, while households in owner-occupied one- or two-dwelling houses spent 15 percent.
The percentage among households in rented dwellings is larger not because they have higher housing costs, but because on average they have lower disposable incomes.
| 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Rented dwelling | 28.2 |
| Owner-occupied apartments | 20.5 |
| Owner-occupied one- or two-dwelling houses | 14.6 |
| All types of tenure | 20.8 |
Although the household type single women over age 64 have among the lowest housing costs, they spend the largest share of their income on housing. This applies to all types of tenure. Single women over age 64 spend the largest proportion on rented dwellings – 41 percent of their disposable income. The corresponding percentage for single women over age 64 in owner-occupied apartments is 32 percent and in owner-occupied one- or two-dwelling buildings it is 23 percent.
Households with more adults, and thereby more potential incomes, on average spend a smaller proportion of their income on housing. Household types cohabiting persons without children and other households spend the smallest proportion, about 15 percent.
Definitions and explanations
Statistics on housing costs previously belonged to the Household Finances survey. However, from 2015, these statistics belong to the Households' housing costs survey. Comparisons between the surveys should be made with caution.
Owner-occupied one- or two-dwelling houses refer to detached single family houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses or link-attached houses that the household owns.
Owner-occupied apartment: An owner-occupied apartment is an apartment situated in a one- or two-dwelling house or multi-dwelling building that is owned by an owners' association, in which one is a member.
Rented dwelling refers to a rented dwelling where the tenant has a first-hand contract, both in one- or two-dwelling houses and multi-dwelling buildings.
Disposable income is the sum of taxable and tax-free income minus taxes and negative transfers.
The presented household types are based on the housekeeping unit concept. Housekeeping units refer to people who live in the same dwelling and have a joint economy. A housekeeping unit also includes children aged 20 years and older who are living with their parents. A housekeeping unit can consist of several generations, siblings or friends who live together and have a joint economy.
Housing costs
Rented dwelling: Housing costs consist of the sum of the rent and individual fees for maintenance and repairs.
Owner-occupied apartment: Housing costs refer to the sum of fees to the tenant-owners' society, interest fees and amortisation as well as individual fees for maintenance and repairs. These costs are adjusted with consideration to tax effects.
Owner-occupied one- or two-dwelling houses: Housing costs refer to the sum of interest fees, amortisation, operating costs (such as heating, water, sewerage and garbage collection) and fees for maintenance and repair, and is adjusted with regard to tax effects.
Tax effects refer to a decrease or increase in tax due to tax reduction for capital losses and for maintenance and repair related to the dwelling and the household's property tax for the dwelling. In addition, any interest on deferred capital from housing sales of a previous dwelling is included.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.