DECIPHE Contextual Database: Demographic, Institutional, and Normative Contexts of Intergenerational Homeownership in Europe

Brief overview

This dataset was developed within the framework of the Demographic Change and the Intergenerational Persistence in Homeownership in Europe (DECIPHE) research project (www.deciphe.eu), which investigates how demographic change shapes the intergenerational transmission of homeownership across Europe.

The DECIPHE Contextual Database is a comprehensive cross-country resource that describes the institutional and normative environments influencing intergenerational homeownership persistence. It contains 134 indicators for 27 EU countries and the United Kingdom, covering national, regional (NUTS 1–3), and birth cohort levels. Indicators are organised into 22 thematic areas across five dimensions: demographic change, housing systems, welfare state characteristics, homeownership-related norms, and socio-economic conditions. In addition to quantitative indicators, the database also includes qualitative measures that provide descriptive information on key policy frameworks shaping homeownership opportunities and constraints.

All data are drawn from 14 major international sources, including Eurostat, the OECD, and the European Mortgage Federation, with appropriate copyright permissions obtained to ensure extensive temporal and geographical coverage. By integrating demographic, institutional, and normative dimensions, this open-access resource facilitates multilevel analyses of how demographic, economic, social, market, and policy contexts shape intergenerational homeownership patterns across Europe. The DECIPHE Contextual Database serves as a valuable tool for researchers seeking to contextualise and interpret micro-level analyses of homeownership dynamics within a broader comparative European framework.

Technical information

The DECIPHE Contextual Database is available in Microsoft Excel (XLS) format, with individual data sections also provided in Stata (DTA) format. The full dataset (DECIPHE Contextual Data_FULL) comprises ten sheets containing summary information, metadata, and indicator data across multiple analytical levels (national, regional, birth cohort, and qualitative).

Specifically, the database includes:

• Summary, Structure, and Description sheets – provide an overview of the database contents, metadata, and indicator definitions.
• NUTS0–NUTS3 sheets – include country- and region-level data for 294 variables.
• Birth Cohort sheet – contains 34 cohort-level indicators.
• Qualitative sheet – presents 60 indicators describing key housing and welfare policy frameworks.
• Citation sheet – documents all data sources and provides citation guidelines.

All sections are also available separately by analytical level (NUTS0, NUTS1, NUTS2, NUTS3, Birth Cohort, and Qualitative) in both Excel and Stata formats.

The accompanying documentation file (DECIPHE Contextual Data_Documentation) provides detailed information about the conceptual framework, rationale, and development of the contextual database. It explains why the database was created, how contextual variables were selected, and which variables have been commonly used in the comparative housing and welfare literature. The documentation also outlines data collection procedures and the database structure, and presents a comprehensive overview of the indicators included under each contextual dimension – demographic change, housing systems, welfare state characteristics, normative context, and socio-economic conditions. Finally, the documentation includes full citation guidelines for all data sources used in the database.

Data Version 2.0:  This version reflects updates completed as of February 2026. In this version, the dataset has been updated with the most recent available information, and minor data inconsistencies identified in the previous release have been corrected. These revisions do not alter the overall structure of the dataset but improve accuracy and reliability for subsequent analysis.

Contact: dorjnyambuu@tarki.hu