The homeownership rate is an important indicator of a country's housing market structure. Germany, with around 45%, has one of the lowest homeownership rates in the EU, while in countries such as Romania or Spain over 75% of households own their home. Germany's low rate is attributed to historical factors, tax frameworks, and well-developed tenancy law. Owner-occupied housing is considered an important component of retirement provision and wealth accumulation. Government subsidy programmes such as the child home ownership bonus and KfW homeownership financing aim to make purchasing property easier, especially for families, and to gradually increase the homeownership rate.