Spain is a country of homeowners: 84 PERCENT_MARKERs own a home, 16 PERCENT_MARKERs own 2+ residences.

"Spain is a country of owners," says Beatriz Toribio, head of research at Fotocasa.

According to Fotocasa's "Real Estate Market Analysis 2016-2017" report published on Monday, 84% of the Spanish population own at least one home, 16% own two or more, while 16% do not own any residential property.

In particular, 69% of Spaniards own an apartment or house, while 16% own two or more dwellings, 3% own three, and 1% own more than three properties.

78% of Spaniards use their home mainly for living, just 7% rent it out, with 4% keeping it empty with no intention of selling or renting it out. "The percentage of empty dwellings is 7% among owners of two apartments and 14% among owners of three, showing that there are private individuals who keep their properties without using them for any purpose," adds Toribio.

The importance of ownership in Spain is also reflected in the fact that eight out of ten Spaniards live in their own homes, while two out of ten rent, although these figures differ in each region: for example, 88% of the inhabitants of the Basque country live in their own homes, in contrast to Madrid or Catalonia, where the percentage drops to 74%.

When it comes to the rental market, the study also notes that the demand for renting exceeds the demand for buying real estate. Moreover, rising rental demand and lack of supply explain the price increases seen in recent months. While 14% of the population have rented or looked for a home or room to rent in the past year, just 5% of Spaniards have rented or tried to rent out their property. As a result, only 56% of people looking for an apartment, house or room to rent managed to do so, while 80% of owners were able to rent out their homes.

Madrid is the leader in terms of real estate purchases. In terms of buying and selling, the Community of Madrid is the most active region, as 27% of the total purchase of residential property by individuals takes place here, while Catalonia accounts for 17%.

Finally, while the study reflects the enduring preference of Spaniards for owning their own homes, there is also a marked change in attitudes towards renting. Thus, a quarter of respondents believe that an apartment is the best inheritance that can be left to children, and only a third believes that renting a place is a waste of money. "We are seeing a shift in Spanish people's opinion on renting, although the idea that renting is a waste of money has long been widespread. Each year, our research shows that this deeply held belief is losing strength. More and more Spaniards appreciate the freedom and flexibility that renting offers at certain moments in our lives and in a world as fickle as today's," explains Toribio.

This is confirmed by the fact that 39% of respondents believe that in the future there will be more renting and less buying, while 42% believe that the price of housing will never reach the level of the boom times.