

2. USA - 201.5 (2170), 2.6 pph



3. New Zealand - 196.2 (2112), 2.6 pph



4. Canada - 181 (1950), 2.5 pph



5. Japan - 132 (1420), the pph in Tokyo dropped below 2 for the first time this year (1.99)



6. UK - 76 (818 sq ft), 2.1 pph

The largest household are found in Iraq with 7.7 people. India has 5.4 people per household, and the world average was 3.8 in 2002.Larger households are more efficient because many people are sharing space and resources, maximizing on both. This is why students, and other people looking to maximize resources, often choose to share living space. It saves money, and resources.But the trend has been toward larger houses and smaller households. Why do we need all this room? What is it for, and how do some people manage to live with less?The UK is notable for having the smallest houses on our list, and in all of Europe. Six UK homes could be built on one Australian lot.Linda and I currently live in 586 sq ft., how about you? Does your living space contribute to decreasing your country's overall average house size?When we moved from our condo in British Columbia to a rental home in Nova Scotia in 2014, we experienced an up-sizing in our accommodation.We no longer qualify for tiny home status (about 500 sq. ft.), but might just fit into thecategory (about 1000 sq. ft.) since our square footage is less than the average Canadian residence.Our new home is about 1,200 sq. ft.Our rental needed to be one level, wheelchair accessible, and with a roll-in shower. That automatically eliminated about 99% or more of potential rental units, so we couldn't be too picky when we found one that met our needs.Many commenters on this post (recommended reading) mentioned the benefits of having more space. For us, the extra space is appreciated and has helped us do the things we need to do more comfortably.After living in less than 600 sq. ft. for nine years, a more open home feels far less restricted. Having said that, I could live without the extra time it takes to clean it, and the extra money required to keep it warm in the winter.For now we are enjoying our space, but when we move, we will look for a home somewhere between 500 and 900 square feet.