The overcrowding rate “describes the proportion of people living in an overcrowded dwelling, as defined by the number of rooms available to the household, the household's size, as well as its member's ages and their family situation”.

Poland (44.2 percent) was third on the list, right after Romania (52.3 percent) and Hungary (44.6 percent), compared with an average of 17.1 percent for the EU28 countries.

However, Poland beats most of the western European countries in ownership rate.

Almost three fourths of Poles own property without outstanding mortgage nor a loan, while in Sweden or Netherlands the figure is less than 10 percent. (tf/rg)

Overcrowding rate, 2014 (percent of specified population, Red added for emphasis). Photo: Eurostat