Bringing together country-level growth trends with city-level performance data, Airbtics enables you to move beyond broad market narratives and focus on locations where demand, nightly rates, property prices, and regulations align. This data-driven approach helps reduce guesswork and supports more confident, informed Airbnb investment decisions.

Why Airbnb Investors Target Europe’s Fastest-Growing Economies & Populations

Fast growth – whether driven by economic expansion or population increases – is one of the strongest indicators of future demand for short-term rentals. For Airbnb investors, fast-growing European markets often combine rising travel activity, stronger spending power, and structural demand shifts that support both higher occupancy rates and revenue growth over time.

Economic Growth Signals Higher Short-Term Rental Spending

Countries experiencing rapid GDP and economic growth tend to attract more business travel, international tourism, digital nomads, and cross-border investment. As local economies expand, infrastructure improves, air connectivity increases, and tourism services scale.

These developments directly benefit Airbnb hosts through:

• Higher average daily rates (ADR) as visitor spending power rises
• Increased year-round demand, not just seasonal tourism
• Greater resilience during economic slowdowns compared to stagnant markets

Airbnb investments in the fastest-growing economies in Europe, like Georgia, Malta, Albania, Serbia, and Croatia, experience strong demand that is often fueled by a mix of leisure tourism, emerging business hubs, and growing international visibility. This creates early-stage opportunities for investors before markets fully mature.

Population Growth Drives Long-Term Occupancy and Demand Stability

Rapid population growth creates a different – but equally powerful – investment advantage. Countries with expanding populations benefit from urbanization, migration, and workforce mobility, all of which increase demand for flexible accommodation.

For Airbnb investors, this translates into:

• Stronger baseline occupancy, even outside peak tourist seasons
• Increased demand for mid-term stays and Airbnb long-term rentals (relocations, temporary work, and student accommodation)
• More consistent cash flow in major cities and economic centers

Airbnb markets in high population growth countries in Europe, such as Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, Iceland, and the UK, also bring along international mobility. This combination of factors makes them particularly attractive for short-term rental strategies focused on stability and long-term performance.

Why Growth Matters for Airbnb ROI

From an investment perspective, fast-growing markets tend to outperform because they offer:

• Rising demand ahead of supply saturation
• Greater potential for revenue growth over time
• More room for pricing optimization as markets mature

By targeting European countries with strong economic momentum or population expansion, Airbnb investors position themselves to benefit from both near-term rental income and long-term market appreciation.

How We Chose the Fastest-Growing Countries for Airbnb in Europe

To identify Europe’s fastest-growing Airbnb markets, we combined macroeconomic indicators with short-term rental performance data from Airbtics and other trusted sources. Our goal was to highlight countries where strong growth fundamentals are already translating into measurable Airbnb demand and revenue potential.

The key factors we considered include:

• Economic growth (GDP growth rates): We ranked the fastest-growing economies as they tend to attract more tourism, business travel, and infrastructure investment, all of which support short-term rental demand.
• Population growth: We prioritized the countries in Europe with the highest population growths as rising populations – often driven by migration and workforce mobility – create sustained demand for flexible accommodation, improving long-term occupancy stability.
• Local Airbnb market performance: We analyzed the number of active listings, average revenue, occupancy rates, and ADRs to assess how growth is currently impacting host performance on the ground.
• Short-term rental regulations: We evaluated the regulatory environment in each country, favoring markets with clearer, more investor-friendly rules for Airbnb rentals.
• Foreign land and property ownership: We focused on countries that allow non-residents to buy property more easily as they tend to be more accessible for international Airbnb investors.
• Golden Visa and residency by real estate programs: We prioritized countries with investor residency schemes, such as Golden Visa countries for Airbnb property investing, as hosts can benefit from dual citizenship in a European country.
• Property prices and affordability: We considered entry costs as they play a major role in potential ROI, especially in fast-growing markets where demand is still catching up with supply. Real estate appreciation is also usually stronger in affordable markets.
• Tourism and lifestyle appeal: We factored in natural attractions, culture, climate, and quality of life as they help sustain both leisure and mid-term rental demand year-round. Moreover, they provide investors with the financial advantages of an investment and the personal benefits of a second home in a favorite destination.

By combining growth indicators with real Airbnb performance data, our methodology highlights markets where momentum, accessibility, and rental demand intersect. This approach helps both beginner and experienced investors focus on European countries with short-term income potential and long-term growth upside.

How to Find the Best Countries to Start an Airbnb in Europe for Fast Growth

Identifying fast-growing Airbnb markets in Europe with strong potential for Airbnb rental investments requires more than tracking headlines or tourism trends. It depends on access to reliable, comparable, and market-ready data. For many investors, especially those investing abroad for the first time, gathering accurate insights on economic growth, population shifts, legal regulations, and short-term rental performance can be time-consuming and fragmented.

That’s where the Airbtics Global Airbnb Investment Dataset becomes a powerful research starting point. With a single subscription, investors gain access to standardized, up-to-date data across Europe’s most active short-term rental markets, including countries with well-developed Airbnb ecosystems that are growing but not yet oversaturated. The dataset is designed to make complex market data easy to interpret, helping both first-time investors and experienced hosts evaluate opportunities across multiple European countries quickly and consistently.

The Airbtics dataset allows investors to analyze and compare European markets using key growth and performance indicators, including:

• Annual GDP growth rate to identify fast-growing economies with rising tourism, spending, and infrastructure investment
• Annual population growth trends to assess long-term demand stability driven by migration, urbanization, and workforce mobility
• Average Airbnb annual revenue to estimate income potential and benchmark expected returns across countries
• Average Airbnb occupancy rate to evaluate demand consistency and booking stability throughout the year
• Average daily rate (ADR) to assess pricing power and revenue upside in different markets
• Number of active Airbnb listings to understand market size, competition levels, and supply dynamics
• Number of markets with 500+ active Airbnb listings to identify scalable markets with sufficient demand and liquidity
• Property prices levels to evaluate entry costs and potential return on investment
• Foreign property ownership regulations to assess accessibility and legal feasibility for international investors
• Residency by real estate investment programs to show markets where investors might benefit from dual citizenship advantages

Have a look at how the data looks like at the country level: