English houses are more cramped than New York apartments: Study finds people in ... trends now
People in England live in more cramped conditions than those in New York City apartments, a shocking new study revealed today.
The Resolution Foundation found the average floor space per person in England is 38 square metres, compared to 43 in the New York metropolitan area.
The corresponding figure for London is 33sqm compared to 31sqm for Paris, 43sqm for France, 33sqm for Tokyo, 40sqm for Japan and 66sqm for the US as a whole.
The report also revealed that Finland is the only country in the OECD that spends more on housing than British workers as a proportion of total spending.
Yet despite paying more than other countries, they are getting less in return due to our 'expensive and ageing' housing stock.
This New York City studio apartment may look small, but at just under 43sqm it is still provides more living space per person than the English average
This image shows a studio flat in Shoreditch that is 33sqm in size - the average amount of living space per person in the UK
The Resolution Foundation found the average floor space per person in England is 38 square metres, compared to 43 in the New York metropolitan area
The Foundation's housing outlook used OCED data to compare the UK's housing issues against other similar economies.
England's housing stock is also relatively old, with 38% of homes built before 1946, the report said, compared with around a fifth (21%) in Italy and one in nine (11%) in Spain.
Older homes can be poorly insulated, leading to higher energy bills and a higher risk of damp, according to the Foundation, which is focused on improving the living standards for those on low to middle incomes.
Researchers also considered what it would cost to rent all homes - incorporating what owners would pay if they rented their home at market rates - to show how the market price of housing varies across different countries.
The report said: 'If all households in the UK were fully exposed to our housing market, they would have to devote 22% of their spending to housing services, far higher than the OECD average (17%), and the highest level across the developed economies with the solitary exception of Finland.'
The report also revealed that Finland is the only country in the OECD that spends more on housing than British workers as a proportion of total spending
Older homes can be poorly insulated, leading to higher energy bills and a higher risk of damp, according to the Foundation
