Figure for October: 1.26 million

The number of Germans who own their own holiday home or apartment has risen sharply in the wake of the Corona pandemic. Until 2019, the number fluctuated around 1 million for several years – but in 2020, according to a survey by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research (IfD), there were suddenly 1.26 million holiday home owners.

The reason for the sharp increase is thought to be that a retreat in nature gained importance for many during the coronavirus crisis. Another decisive factor could be that more and more people have the opportunity to work remotely and can also use their holiday home as a home office.

It is also interesting to note that almost all of these holiday homes appear to be used predominantly for private purposes. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of commercially operated holiday homes and apartments open in Germany in 2020 was only 11,328. Compared to the 1.26 million owners, this represents a share of less than 1 percent. While there are also private rentals to overnight guests, which were not included in the statistics, owner-occupancy can likely be considered the dominant use of holiday homes.

Even in relation to the total number of buildings in Germany, our figure for the month is remarkable. While the statistics for the 1.26 million owners of holiday homes don't differentiate between holiday homes and apartments, another survey of holiday property owners indicates that holiday homes account for a substantial 33 percent. Furthermore, the statistics don't specify what percentage of these properties are located abroad. Nevertheless, a rough estimate, based on conservative calculations, suggests that approximately 400,000 properties in Germany are used as holiday homes. This would represent about 2 percent of the 19.3 million residential buildings that existed in Germany in 2020, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In other words, one in fifty houses is a holiday home!

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