Nearly 1.9 million flats were empty in Germany as of May 15, 2022, census figures show, despite the high demand for housing.

This corresponds to a vacancy rate of 4.3 per cent, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Thursday.

Over half of the properties, or 55 per cent, have been unoccupied for over a year.

Only just over a third of the empty flats, or 38 per cent, were ready for occupation in the next three months.

In the city-states of Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin, the share of quickly available flats was significantly higher at 52 to 61per cent.

Construction measures or renovations were planned for almost one in four (24 per cent) empty flats.

Demolition was planned for only four per cent of the vacant flats, while seven per cent were to be sold or used by the owners themselves.

Other reasons were cited for one in five vacant flats.

The data comes from the 2022 census, which is based on official registers and a survey of 12 per cent of the population on various topics.

According to the statistical office, around 23 million owners provided information about their properties in the building and housing census, as did around 8,000 housing companies. 

(dpa/NAN)