By Justina Ilkevičiūtė, LRT TV, LRT.lt.

Lithuanians are living in increasingly smaller homes, while the average living space available per person remains below the European Union average, according to Eurostat data.

Real estate developers say the trend has been visible for decades, driven by affordability concerns and changing demographics. Economists, however, warn that the growing popularity of smaller apartments is pushing larger families to the suburbs, creating new challenges related to infrastructure, transportation and quality of life.

In a newly built residential development in Vilnius, most apartments measure around 40 square meters. Despite their limited size, sales representatives say such units are among the most sought-after and sell out the fastest.

Real estate brokers and developers acknowledge that apartments in new housing projects have been steadily shrinking.

“The average apartment size was about 64 square meters in 2000. Today, it has fallen to around 50 square meters,” said Marius Čiulada, a representative of real estate agency Ober-Haus. “Most new developments consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments, while even three-bedroom units often measure only about 57 square meters. This is a broader global trend.”

Read more: LRT.LT