Although some attention has been paid to the renovation of Europe’s building stock in recent years, the German research institute, Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, now reveals that the number of Europeans living in damp and mouldy dwellings has remained almost unchanged since 2009, leaving about 16% of the European population living in unhealthy homes.
In total, 84 million Europeans live in damp or mouldy dwellings, and this increases their risk of developing respiratory diseases and life-long allergies.
Today, 2.2 million Europeans have asthma as a direct result of living in damp or mouldy buildings, according to the study by Fraunhofer IBP.