Skip to the content

Personal well-being

Quality of life indicators cover a broad range of topics/dimensions, including material living conditions, employment, education, health, social interactions, safety and security, trust, discrimination and the environment. Most of the information presented in the remainder of this article is from EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). The target population consists of all people living in private households; as such, those living in collective households and in institutions are generally excluded.

Shelter is 1 of the most basic human needs: as such, satisfactory accommodation is a valuable part of most people’s lives. To some degree, an individual’s choice of dwelling is predetermined by the local housing stock that is on offer: a higher share of people living in cities tend to live in flats/apartments, whereas those living in rural areas are more likely to live in a house. In 2023, more than 4 out of 5 (82.3%) of the EU’s rural population lived in a house. This was much higher than the shares recorded for people living in towns and suburbs (56.3%) or in cities (27.3%). This pattern – a higher share of people living in rural areas residing in houses – was repeated in each of the EU countries.

Looking in more detail at rural populations, the share of people living in houses ranged from just less than half (46.4%) in Malta and less than 60.0% in Germany and Latvia (2021 data), up to more than 95.0% in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Croatia, Romania and Hungary (where a peak of 98.4% was recorded).

Figure 5: Share of people living in a house, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_lvho01)


Figure 6 presents information on overall life satisfaction (the data shown are for people aged 16 years or over); they are presented on a scale of 0–10 from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. This indicator provides a broad appraisal of life satisfaction and refers to how a respondent is feeling; the intent isn’t to obtain their current emotional state, but rather a reflective judgement on their level of overall life satisfaction. In 2022, the average rating for overall life satisfaction in the EU was 7.1. There was little or no difference when studied by degree of urbanisation, as people living in cities had a rating (7.2) that was marginally higher than people living in towns and suburbs, and in rural areas (both 7.1).

Fresher data are available for most of the EU countries: in 2023, people living in Belgium, Austria, Romania, Slovenia and Finland tended to be somewhat more satisfied with their lives, based on this measure. By contrast, the lowest levels of overall life satisfaction were recorded in Greece, Latvia and – most notably – Bulgaria. An analysis by degree of urbanisation reveals there were generally relatively small differences in overall life satisfaction ratings within individual EU countries, although

  • in several eastern and southern EU countries, people living in cities reported marginally higher levels of overall life satisfaction than those living in rural areas
  • in several western EU countries, people living in rural areas had marginally higher levels of overall life satisfaction than those living in cities.

In 2023, the highest levels of overall life satisfaction for people living in rural areas were recorded in the Netherlands, Austria and Finland, closely followed by Belgium and Malta (2022 data), all with ratings of 7.8 and 7.7, respectively. At the other end of the scale, by far the lowest levels of overall life satisfaction across rural populations were recorded in Bulgaria (5.5), with the next lowest ratings (all 6.9) observed in Greece, Latvia and Lithuania (2022 data).

Figure 6: Overall life satisfaction among people (≥ 16 years), by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(scale 0–10)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_pw02)


Health

The EU population enjoys near-universal access to healthcare services – for example, if contracting a disease or being involved in an accident – alongside timely and reliable public health information. Furthermore, life expectancy in the EU is among the highest in the world and infant mortality rates have dropped to very low levels.

Ill health not only undermines an individual’s (and their family’s) quality of life, but it can shorten their lifespan. At an aggregate level, poor health can hinder economic and social development by reducing the human capital available within a society. As such, long and healthy lives aren’t only a personal aim but can also provide a more general indication of societal well-being.

Although people living in rural areas may be disadvantaged in terms of difficulties in accessing health care facilities, their overall health may benefit from the local environment they live in; for example, the quality of air they breathe. As such, rural residents may be at lower risk of developing a range of health issues, including for example, breathing difficulties linked to pollution, or mental health issues triggered by some of the negative aspects of urban living.

Health status can be measured by asking people how they perceive their own health. In 2023, around 2 out of 3 (67.9%) people in the EU aged 16 years or over declared their own health as good or very good; this share was higher in cities (69.3%) than it was in towns and suburbs (68.1%) or in rural areas (65.4%). The share of people who perceived their health as good or very good ranged, across EU countries, from less than half in Latvia and Lithuania (both 47.6%) up to more than 3 out of 4 in Belgium (75.4%), Cyprus (77.0%), Greece (78.3%), Ireland and Malta (both 79.5%).

Self-perceived health has a distinct age pattern, as progressively fewer older people tend to rate their health as being good or very good, while the share reporting bad or very bad health increases with age. The share of older people (aged 65 years or over) in the EU reporting their own health as good or very good was 39.8% in 2023; the share for this subpopulation living in rural areas was 2.8 percentage points lower, at 37.0% (see Figure 7). This pattern – a lower share of older people living in rural areas reporting their own health as good or very good – was repeated in a majority (20 out of 27) of EU countries; the Benelux countries as well as Estonia, Denmark, Ireland and Latvia were the exceptions. The share of older people living in rural areas that reported their own health as good or very good was at least 5.0 percentage points lower than the national average for older people in Hungary, Portugal, Croatia and Cyprus (where the largest gap was registered, at 5.6 points).

Figure 7 also includes an assessment of self-perceived health for the working-age population (defined here as people aged 16–64 years). In 2023, 75.9% of the working-age population living in rural areas of the EU declared they had good or very good health, which was 1.6 percentage points lower than the average for all working-age people (77.5%). This gap existed in most of the EU countries, although Luxembourg and Austria were exceptions, both reporting a higher share of working-age people living in rural areas having good or very good health status.

Unsurprisingly, a higher share of working-age people (compared with older people) declared they had good or very good health status in 2023; this was observed in every EU country. Within rural areas, a similar pattern was observed, with a higher share of working-age people declaring they had good or very good health status. The difference between these 2 subpopulations was relatively small in Denmark (5.7 percentage points), but was considerably wider in several other EU countries: there was a gap of more than 50.0 points in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania (where the widest gap was observed, at 60.3 points).

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people declaring they had good or very good health status. Data are shown by age, for working-age people (16 to 64 years) and for older people (65 years or over); the left-hand side of the chart shows data for rural areas and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 7: People with good or very good health status, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_18)

Unmet needs for medical examination or treatment (hereafter referred to as medical care) can be due to a number of reasons including, among others, financial reasons (too expensive), distance/transport (too far to travel) or timeliness (waiting lists). The statistics presented in Figure 8 are based on a person’s own self-assessment of whether they needed medical care; the shares are calculated relative to all people (in the relevant age range), regardless of whether they had a need for medical care or not. In 2023, 2.4% of the EU population aged 16 years or over declared they had an unmet need for medical care for 1 of the 3 specified reasons; this share was higher in rural areas (2.9%) than it was in cities (2.3%) or in towns and suburbs (2.1%).

In 2023, 4.6% of older people (aged 65 years or over) living in rural areas of the EU declared an unmet need for medical care for 1 of the specified reasons; this was 2.3 percentage points higher than the 2.3% share recorded among the working-age population (16–64 years) living in rural areas.

  • The share of older people living in rural areas with unmet needs for medical care ranged from less than 1.0% in 7 of the EU countries up to 11.4% in Romania and a peak of 33.0% in Greece.
  • The share of working-age people living in rural areas with unmet needs for medical care ranged from less than 1.0% in 9 of the EU countries up to 5.3% in Latvia, 5.8% in Finland and a peak of 9.3% in Estonia.
  • In rural areas, a higher share of older people (compared with working-age people) declared unmet needs for medical care in 17 EU countries
    • the opposite pattern was observed in Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden, as older people were less likely (than working-age people) to report unmet needs for medical care
    • in Germany and the Netherlands, there were no unmet needs for medical care among older people
    • in Malta, there were no unmet needs for medical care among the working-age population.
A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people with self-reported unmet needs for medical examination or treatment due to being too expensive, too far to travel or waiting lists. Data are shown by age, for working-age people (16 to 64 years) and for older people (65 years or over); the left-hand side of the chart shows data for rural areas and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 8: People with self-reported unmet needs for medical examination or treatment due to being too expensive, too far to travel or waiting lists, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_21)

Figure 9 shows similar information to that presented above, with the focus changing to unmet needs for dental examination or treatment (hereafter referred to as dental care). These statistics are also based on a person’s own self-assessment of whether they needed dental care. In 2023, 3.4% of the EU population aged 16 years or over declared they had an unmet need for dental care because of financial reasons (too expensive), distance/transport (too far to travel) or timeliness (waiting lists); this share was higher in rural areas (3.7%) than it was in cities (3.5%) or in towns and suburbs (3.2%).

In 2023, 3.8% of older people (aged 65 years or over) living in rural areas of the EU declared an unmet need for dental care for 1 of the specified reasons; this was broadly in line (0.1 percentage points higher) with the 3.7% share recorded among the working-age population (16–64 years) living in rural areas.

  • The share of older people living in rural areas with unmet needs for dental care ranged from less than 1.0% in 8 of the EU countries up to 11.4% in Portugal and a peak of 12.4% in Greece.
  • The share of working-age people living in rural areas with unmet needs for dental care ranged from less than 1.0% in 6 of the EU countries up to 10.4% in Portugal, 10.6% in Denmark and a peak of 11.0% in Greece.
  • In rural areas, a higher share of working-age people (compared with older people) declared unmet needs for dental care in 15 EU countries
    • the opposite pattern was observed in 10 eastern and southern EU countries, where a higher share of older people reported unmet needs for dental care; this was also the case in Austria
    • in Germany, there was no difference in the shares of unmet needs for these 2 age groups.

The share of people reporting unmet needs for dental care in rural areas was generally close to the national average, with differences usually less than +/-2.0 percentage points. The only exceptions in 2023 were • Portugal, where the share of working-age people with unmet needs was 2.1 percentage points higher in rural areas than the national average • Greece and Latvia, where the share of older people with unmet needs was 2.1 and 3.3 percentage points, respectively, lower in rural areas than the national average.

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people with self-reported unmet needs for dental examination or treatment due to being too expensive, too far to travel or waiting lists. Data are shown by age, for working-age people (16 to 64 years) and for older people (65 years or over); the left-hand side of the chart shows data for rural areas and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 9: People with self-reported unmet needs for dental examination or treatment due to being too expensive, too far to travel or waiting lists, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_22)

In 2023, 35.0% of the EU population aged 16 years or over reported having a long-standing illness or health problem. Within the EU, a higher share of females (37.2%) than males (32.8%) had a long-standing illness or health problem; this pattern was repeated in all of the EU countries, except for Ireland and Cyprus, where a higher share of males reported such problems.

Across the EU countries, the lowest prevalence of people with a long-standing illness or health problem in 2023 was observed in Italy (16.0%), Romania (21.0%), Bulgaria (22.6%) and Luxembourg (22.7%). Most of the other EU countries had shares in the range of 24.4% to 38.2%; at the top end of the ranking, at least 4 out of every 10 people in France (40.0%), Sweden (41.4%), Latvia (42.9%), Portugal (44.5%), Estonia (46.5%) and Finland (55.2%) had a long-standing illness or health problem.

Age is a major factor in the prevalence of long-standing illnesses or health problems: while 19.6% of the EU population aged 16–44 years reported having a long-standing illness or health problem in 2023, this share rose to 37.6% for the age group 45–64 years, and to 60.3% for people aged 65 years or over; a more detailed analysis by age reveals that 73.1% of very old people (defined here as those aged 85 years or over) had a long-standing illness or health problem.

The link between age and the prevalence of long-standing illnesses or health problems was echoed among people living in rural areas. In 2023, 61.8% of the EU’s population aged 65 years or over living in rural areas reported a long-standing illness or health problem; this was 3.3 times as high as the share (19.0%) recorded among people aged 16–44 years living in rural areas; see Figure 10.

In 2023, the share of older people (aged 65 years or over) living in rural areas and reporting a long-standing illness or health problem was lowest in Italy (36.1%) and Luxembourg (37.2%). At the other end of the range, at least 3 out of 4 older people in Lithuania, Estonia and Hungary reported a long-standing illness or health problem, with a peak of 84.8% in Cyprus.

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of people with a long-standing illness or health problem. Data are shown for people aged 16 to 44 years, people aged 45 to 64 years and for people aged 65 years or over; the left-hand side of the chart shows data for rural areas and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 10: People having a long-standing illness or health problem, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_19)

In 2023, 7.2% of the EU population aged 16 years and over reported a severe long-standing limitation in their usual activities due to health problems (hereafter referred to as a severe disability). The share of people who reported a severe disability ranged from 2.5% in Bulgaria and 2.9% in Luxembourg up to more than 1 in 10 people in Latvia (10.1%), France (10.2%) and Estonia (11.5%).

Severe disability has a distinct age pattern, as people in higher age groups are more likely than people in lower age groups to report activity limitations; see Figure 11. Across the EU, the share of people aged 65–74 years who reported a severe disability was 10.2% in 2023, rising to 18.4% for people aged 75–84 years and 33.1% for those aged 85 years or over. By contrast, the share of working-age people (16–64 years) that reported a severe disability was 4.4%.

The link between age and the prevalence of severe disability was repeated among people living in rural areas. In 2023, 10.9% of the EU’s population aged 65–74 years living in rural areas reported a severe disability, rising to 20.0% for people aged 75–84 years and 34.0% for those aged 85 years or over. For all 3 of these age groups, older people living in rural areas were more likely (than the national average for older people) to report a severe disability.

In 2023, the share of very old people (85 years or over) living in rural areas and reporting a severe disability was lowest in Denmark (13.3%), the Netherlands (14.5%), Belgium (16.3%; low reliability) and Bulgaria (17.6%); these were the only EU countries where fewer than 1 in 5 people aged 85 years or over living in rural areas reported a severe disability. At the other end of the range, Slovakia (51.3%) and Cyprus (65.7%) were the only EU countries where more than half of all people aged 85 years or over living in rural areas reported a severe disability.

A pyramid distribution plot showing the share of older people with severe disability (activity limitation). Data are shown for people aged 65 to 74 years, people aged 75 to 84 years and for people aged 85 years or over; the left-hand side of the chart shows data for rural areas and the right-hand side shows data for the national average. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 11: Older people with severe disability (activity limitation), 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (hlth_silc_20)

Attractiveness of rural areas

The EU’s rural areas are valued, among other characteristics, for their natural landscapes, varied food production, as well as the possibilities that they provide for a range of recreational activities and tourism. With opportunities for developing the green economy, the rollout of digital technologies, and the expansion of teleworking in a post-COVID economy and society, there is renewed attention on the attractiveness of rural areas as places to work with increased levels of well-being and security.

There is an established trend for people to move out of cities towards the countryside, for example after starting a family or when retiring. This is driven, at least in part, by a rapid increase in rental and property prices in some of Europe’s major cities. By relocating to rural areas, individuals and families can generally benefit from cheaper homes, or larger homes at more affordable prices. This shift has the potential to not only ease financial burdens but also offers a range of lifestyle changes.

Housing costs refer to the monthly expenses associated with living in a dwelling

  • for homeowners, housing costs include mortgage interest payments net of any tax relief and gross of housing benefits
  • for tenants, housing costs include rental payments gross of housing benefits
  • housing costs also include expenses such as structural insurance, mandatory services and charges (for example, sewage and refuse removal), regular maintenance and repairs, taxes and the cost of utilities (water, electricity, gas, and heating).

In 2023, 19.3% of people living in rural areas of the EU faced a housing cost burden; for the purpose of this article, a housing cost burden is defined as housing costs being greater than 25% of disposable household income. The share of people facing a housing cost burden recorded among people living in rural areas was lower than the shares recorded for people living in towns and suburbs (22.9%) and in cities (27.3%). This pattern – a lower share of the people living in rural areas experiencing a housing cost burden – was repeated in most EU countries, although there were some exceptions

  • in Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania and Croatia, the lowest share of people experiencing a housing cost burden was recorded among those living in cities
  • in Hungary and Malta, the lowest share of people experiencing a housing cost burden was recorded among those living in towns and suburbs
  • in Belgium and Poland, the joint lowest shares of people experiencing a housing cost burden were recorded among those living in towns and suburbs and those living in rural areas.

In Bulgaria, Romania, Malta and Croatia, the highest share of people experiencing a housing cost burden was recorded among those living in rural areas.

In 2023, less than 1 in 10 people living in the rural areas of Austria, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus experienced a housing cost burden. At the other end of the range, more than 3 out of 10 people living in the rural areas of Germany (30.7%) and Bulgaria (35.9%) experienced this burden, with higher shares recorded in Luxembourg (44.1%) and, most notably, Greece (61.8%).

A hi-lo plot showing the share of the population with a housing cost burden of more than 25%. Plots are shown by degree of urbanisation for cities, towns and suburbs, and rural areas. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 12: Distribution of population, by housing cost burden and degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_lvho29)

As noted above, having more space to live is a common reason that motivates some people to move to the countryside. In 2023, 35.4% of the EU population resided in a detached house, 16.3% in a semi-detached house and 47.7% in a flat/apartment. An analysis by degree of urbanisation reveals that 17.8% of the EU population resided in a detached house in a rural area, with lower shares for those living in detached houses in towns and suburbs (12.6%), and in cities (5.1%); see Figure 13.

The share of the total population living in detached houses located in rural areas reflects, at least to some degree, the population distribution and types of dwelling / housing stock available in each EU country. In 2023, most eastern EU countries reported a relatively high share of their national population living in detached houses that were located in rural areas. A peak of 43.0% was recorded in Slovakia, followed by Romania (40.4%) and Slovenia (38.7%). At the other end of the range, less than 10.0% of the total population in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Malta was living in a detached house located in a rural area; the lowest share was recorded in Malta, at 0.2%.

A hi-lo plot showing the share of the population living in a detached house. Plots are shown by degree of urbanisation for cities, towns and suburbs, and rural areas. Information is presented in percent. Data are shown for the EU, EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 13: Distribution of population living in a detached house, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_lvho01)

Noise pollution (such as noise from neighbours or road traffic noise) is a major environmental concern affecting the health and well-being of people in the EU (for example impacting upon their stress levels, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular and metabolic system, or cognitive impairment in children). In 2023, approximately 1 in 10 people living in rural areas of the EU stated that they suffered from noise (10.5%); much higher shares were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs (16.9%) and in cities (24.3%). This pattern – a lower share of people living in rural areas suffering from noise – was repeated in 25 of the 27 EU countries (Ireland; 2020 data), with the only exceptions in Estonia and Sweden, where the lowest share of people suffering from noise was recorded among people living in towns and suburbs. The share suffering from noise was particularly low (when compared in absolute terms with the situation across cities) among people living in rural areas of Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France.

In 2023, the highest shares of people living in rural areas and suffering from noise were recorded in Malta (24.3%), Portugal (19.8%) and Luxembourg (19.6%). By contrast, fewer than 1 in 20 people living in the rural areas of Croatia (4.9%), Bulgaria (4.1%) and Greece (3.7%) suffered from noise.

Figure 14: People experiencing problems where they live/in their local area, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_mddw04), (ilc_mddw05) and (ilc_mddw06)


In 2023, 6.8% of the EU’s rural population experienced pollution, grime or other environmental problems in their local area; see Figure 14 – use the dropdown list to change the indicator. This was considerably lower than the shares recorded among people living in towns and suburbs (10.5%) or cities (17.2%). A similar pattern was repeated for most of the EU countries, although there were some exceptions

  • in Estonia and Slovenia, the highest share of people experiencing pollution, grime or other environmental problems was recorded among those living in towns and suburbs (rather than in cities)
  • in Denmark, Ireland (2020 data), Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia, the lowest share of people experiencing pollution, grime or other environmental problems was recorded among those living in towns and suburbs (rather than in rural areas).

In 2023, more than 1 in 10 people living in the rural areas of Latvia, Portugal, Cyprus, Hungary and Slovenia experienced pollution, grime or other environmental problems; the highest share was recorded in Slovenia (12.3%). By contrast, relatively low shares were recorded in Greece (2.8%) and Croatia (2.7%).


The attractiveness of rural areas may also be measured in relation to the share of people facing problems associated with crime, violence or vandalism. In 2023, 4.7% of the EU population living in rural areas faced these problems: much higher shares were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs (7.8%) and, in particular, cities (15.4%). This pattern – a lower share of people living in rural areas facing the problems of crime, violence or vandalism – was repeated in the vast majority (25 out of 27) of EU countries; see Figure 14 – use the dropdown list to change the indicator.

  • In Cyprus, the lowest share of people facing the problems of crime, violence or vandalism was observed for those living in towns and suburbs (rather than in rural areas).
  • In Hungary, the lowest share of people facing the problems of crime, violence or vandalism was observed for those living in cities, while the highest share was recorded among those living in towns and suburbs.

In 2023, the share of people living in rural areas and facing the problems of crime, violence or vandalism was particularly high in Greece, at 16.4%. None of the other EU countries reported that more than 1 in 10 people faced these issues, with the next highest shares observed in Cyprus (9.9%), Bulgaria (9.3%) and the Netherlands (9.1%). At the bottom end of the range, the lowest shares were recorded in Lativa (1.4%), Lithuania (1.3%), Poland (1.0%) and Croatia (0.4%).


EU regions have been affected by tourism in different ways since a rapid expansion in mass tourism during the 1950s. Some regions continue to receive very few visitors, while others have seen their numbers of tourists grow at a rapid pace. The success of tourism is, in the long-term, closely linked to its sustainability – the conservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, including the arts, gastronomy or the preservation of biodiversity.

In 2021, there were 1.8 billion nights spent at EU tourist accommodation establishments; a majority (56.7%) were spent in hotels and similar accommodation (NACE Group 55.1; hereafter referred to as hotels). Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (NACE Group 55.2; hereafter referred to as holiday accommodation) accounted for 25.5% of all nights spent in the EU, with the residual share of 17.9% accounted for by camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks (NACE Group 55.3; hereafter referred to as camping grounds). Note that these figures are heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, with some of the biggest reductions in nights spent observed in capital and other urban regions, as tourists likely favoured more rural locations during the pandemic and there was a lower level of business travel.

Rural areas accounted for more than 1 in 3 (36.9%) of the total nights spent at EU tourist accommodation establishments in 2021; this was higher than the shares for towns and suburbs (34.7%) or for cities (28.3%). Rural areas were the most popular destinations for people staying in holiday accommodation or in camping grounds, whereas cities were the most popular destinations for people staying in hotels (note that, aside from private leisure trips, the statistics presented also encompass business trips and visits to family and friends).

Looking in more detail at some of the key figures for rural areas

  • Austria and Greece were the only EU countries to report that rural areas accounted for more than 60.0% of all nights spent in hotels
  • Greece, Austria and Denmark were the only EU countries to report that rural areas accounted for more than 75.0% of all nights spent in holiday accommodation
  • Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark and Luxembourg were the only EU countries to report that rural areas accounted for more than 80.0% of all nights spent in camping grounds.
Holiday and other short-stay accommodation and camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks: not applicable for Cyprus.
Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks: not applicable for Cyprus and Malta.
Figure 15: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, by degree of urbanisation, 2021
(%)
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_ninatdc)


A wide range of predominantly rural regions across the EU appeal to tourists. In 2023 – when many tourist destinations had largely recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis – the Italian Alpine region of Bolzano-Bozen and the Croatian coastal region of Istarska zupanija had the highest number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments (36.1 million and 28.1 million, respectively). There were 2 other predominantly rural regions in the EU where upwards of 15.0 million nights were spent in tourist accommodation establishments – both of which were in Austria – Pinzgau-Pongau and Tiroler Unterland.

Tourism density – defined here as the relationship between the total number of nights spent and the total area of each region – provides a measure that may be used to evaluate sustainability issues. Note that the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation doesn’t include tourists staying at non-rented accommodation (for example, in second homes) or same-day visitors and that these tourists/visitors may also impact sustainability.

Among predominantly rural regions, tourism density was generally high in those regions where space was at a premium. In other words, those regions where there was relatively little space available, for example, some island regions. In 2023, the highest ratios of tourism density were recorded in 2 Greek island regions in the Ionian Sea – Kerkyra (Corfu) and Zakynthos – with ratios of 15 811 and 14 571 nights spent per km², respectively. The next highest ratio was recorded in the Croatian coastal region of Istarska županija (9 988 nights spent per km²).

An alternative tourism pressure indicator can be calculated as the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation relative to the resident population of a region; this may be used to highlight the pressure on a region’s infrastructure. Among the predominantly rural regions of the EU, the Greek region of Zakynthos (149 887 per 1 000 (‰) inhabitants) recorded the highest ratio of nights spent in tourist accommodation relative to the resident population in 2023. The second highest ratio was recorded in Istarska zupanija (133 447‰ inhabitants), while there were 4 other regions with ratios that were higher than 100 000‰ inhabitants

  • Tiroler Oberland and Pinzgau-Pongau in Austria
  • Andros, Thira, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros and Tinos, and Kerkyra in Greece.
Three barplot or lollipop charts showing nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments. Separate charts are shown for the absolute number of nights spent in millions, the ratio of nights spent per square kilometre, the ratio of nights spent per thousand inhabitants. Data are shown for the top 20 predominantly rural regions with the highest values for each indicator. Data are shown for selected predominantly rural regions in the EU. Annual data are presented for 2023. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 16: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, selected predominantly rural regions, 2023
Source: Eurostat (tour_occ_nin3), (demo_r_pjangrp3) and (reg_area3)

Source data for tables and graphs

Retrieved from "https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=INFORMA_test&oldid=649239"