The extended family and housing in France

In France, as in most industrialised countries, owner-occupation has expanded considerably since the 1950s; it now accounts for 54 per cent of all housing, less than in parts of Southern Europe, where the levels are particularly high (75 per cent in Spain) and more than in parts of Northern Europe (43 per cent in Sweden). With growing prosperity, more and more households were able to invest in property, thus reviving the rural tradition of home ownership.