Some 9.8% of homes in France were second homes or used only occasionally in 2023, and another 8.2% were left permanently empty, according to figures from state statistics agency Insee.
Around 55% of second homes were individual houses, with the rest being flats.
The number of second homes has remained constant over the past few years, as have survey results that consistently show that 40% of the French population would like to own a second home.
Where are second homes most common?
A map from 2019 took data from Insee to show which communes had the most second homes.
Not surprisingly, it showed a high-density fringe of second homes along both the southern and western coasts, as well as clusters in mountainous regions, especially in the Pyrenees and the southern Alps.
There was another concentration covering the broad Massif Central area, which has departments with falling permanent populations.
Overall, there are around 350 communes where the number of second homes accounts for 70% or more of total housing.
The village of Germ, near the ski station of Peyragude in Hautes-Pyrénées, tops the list – it has 38 permanent residents and 671 second homes.
INSEE / The Connexion
Belgians trump Britons for ownership
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Insee does not have data on the nationality of second-home owners, but CCF bank, formerly the retail arm of HSBC France, recently produced a report on its lending for second homes.
It found that Belgians have overtaken Britons in buying second homes in France, and now account for 20% of houses bought by non-residents.
Britons are in second place, followed by Germans, the Dutch, and Americans.
Meanwhile, property platform SeLoger.com has listed the top departments for buying a second home with a budget under €150,000, including notaire and agency fees.
Creuse offers the largest surface area. You can become the owner of a second home there averaging 156m².
Using data from Meilleurs Agents’ property price index, it put Indre in second place, where you can afford a 131m² property on the same budget.
Haute-Marne came third, offering 126m² for €150,000, with Nièvre close behind (122m²), just ahead of Cher (119m²).
