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Where Young People Can Still Afford a Home, Ranked

World Population Review

Nov 7, 2026

A closer look at housing costs and incomes.

1. 🏠 The Most Affordable Countries

Start with the places where homes cost the fewest years of income.

🔑 Oman and Saudi Arabia lead the world, with a home price-to-income ratio of just 3.1.

South Africa follows at 3.2 and the United States at 3.3. Qatar stands at 5.2, Denmark at 6.5, Palestine at 6.6, and Iceland and Ireland at 6.7 each. Belgium rounds out the top ten at 6.8.

Every country in this group sits below 7 years of income. The list mixes Gulf states, southern Africa, Western Europe, and North America, which shows that affordability is not tied to one region.

The United States stands out as the only large, wealthy economy among the top five.

📌 Key point: The cheapest countries cost less than one third as many years of income as Canada (Derived).

2. 🕌 The Gulf: Low Ratios, High Variation

The Gulf states dominate the top of the list.

🏜️ Oman and Saudi Arabia are tied at 3.1, Qatar stands at 5.2, the United Arab Emirates at 7.0, and Kuwait at 7.3.

The five Gulf countries range from 3.1 to 7.3, more than a twofold difference between the cheapest and the most expensive. Oman and Saudi Arabia sit at the very top of the global ranking, while the UAE and Kuwait land closer to Western Europe’s range.

Even the most expensive of the five, at 7.3, is below the figures for the United Kingdom and Germany.

The Gulf group shows how much variation can sit inside a single region, from the world’s cheapest homes relative to income to markets closer to those of Europe.

🔍 Look at the gap: Kuwait’s ratio is about 2.4 times Oman’s (Derived).

3. 💳 The Monthly Squeeze

The ratio of price to income is one measure. The share of income going to a mortgage is another.

📊 Mortgage payments take about 24 percent of income in Saudi Arabia and 24.6 percent in Oman, among the lowest shares in the table.

The United States follows at 30.1 percent, South Africa at 41.6, and Qatar at 42.2. Belgium and Denmark stand near 48 percent, and Ireland at 51.1.

Canada, by contrast, stands at 92.1 percent, meaning a mortgage there would absorb nearly all of a typical income by this measure.

The two measures tell a consistent story: the countries with low price-to-income ratios also tend to have the lowest mortgage burdens.

🧭 Context check: Canada’s mortgage share is about 3.8 times Saudi Arabia’s (Derived).

4. 🇪🇺 Europe: A Clear Northern Lead

Within Europe, the Nordic and Benelux countries come out well.

🇩🇰 Denmark leads the European countries in the chart, at 6.5, followed by Ireland at 6.7 and Belgium at 6.8.

The Netherlands and Sweden stand at 7.7 each, Finland at 8.0, Norway at 8.4, Spain at 8.5, the United Kingdom at 8.8, and Germany at 8.9.

France stands at 10.3 and Italy at 9.5, a little above the group in the chart. Switzerland is at 11.0 and Austria at 11.5.

The European range is tight, with only about 2.4 points separating Denmark from Germany.

🔄 Seen another way: France’s ratio is about 1.6 times Denmark’s (Derived).

5. 🌐 The English-Speaking World

Housing is a major political issue across the English-speaking countries.

🏡 The United States stands at 3.3, followed by New Zealand at 7.3, Australia at 8.1, the United Kingdom at 8.8, and Canada at 10.2.

The American figure is remarkably low compared with its peers, and it is about a third of Canada’s. The other four countries all stand above 7.

Canada’s ratio of 10.2 is the highest of the group and puts it among the less affordable of the wealthy economies.

The gap between the United States and its English-speaking peers is large enough that it reshapes the whole group’s average. Without it, the other four countries would sit within about three points of one another.

🎯 Take note: The United States’ ratio is about a third of Canada’s and about 38 percent of the United Kingdom’s (Derived).

6. 🌍 The Large Economies

Among the world’s biggest economies, the range is wide.

⚖️ The United States leads the large economies at 3.3, followed by Germany at 8.9, Italy at 9.5, and France at 10.3.

India stands at 10.9, Mexico at 11.8, Japan at 12.2, Brazil at 15.2, and China at 28.5.

China’s ratio is more than eight times the American one. The gap between the two largest economies on the list is the widest of any pair in the chart.

Brazil, Mexico, and India sit in the middle, with ratios between 10 and 16. Japan, at 12.2, sits close to Mexico, even though the two economies could hardly differ more.

🔢 By the numbers: China’s ratio is about 8.6 times the United States’ (Derived).

7. 📊 The Other End of the Ranking

At the other extreme, a home can cost decades of income.

⚠️ Hong Kong stands at 29.1, China at 28.5, and Vietnam at 25.8, among the least affordable markets in Asia.

Sri Lanka stands at 34.2 and Nepal at 32.1. Thailand stands at 25.2, Singapore at 23.2, the Philippines and South Korea at 22.2 each, and Taiwan at 21.3.

The world’s highest ratios are in Syria at 115.1, Cuba at 48.0, Ethiopia at 47.1, and Cameroon at 46.6.

Several of Asia’s wealthiest economies are among the least affordable markets, a reminder that high income does not guarantee that housing is within reach.

💡 Why it matters: For young adults, the price-to-income ratio shows how long it may take to afford a first home.

The story of housing isn’t really about property. It’s about opportunity, and about whether a generation can build a stable base.