Thiruvananthapuram: As per the recently released multi-index survey by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), approximately 12 lakh families in Kerala have acquired independent houses or apartments in the past eight years. Kerala is also the leading state in average house size in India. Kerala houses are average 90.1 sq mtr (970 sqft). Moreover, 66.5 per cent of Kerala houses range from 60 to 160 sq mtr (645 to 1722 sq ft).

The NSSO survey also includes data on families who acquired a house or flat between March 31, 2014, and 2020-21. Out of the total 89.06 lakh families in Kerala, about 13.8 per cent or 12 lakh families owned a house during this period. This includes newly built and purchased ones. Among these, 61.5 per cent of these families are getting a house or flat for the first time. In India, 9.9 per cent of the 26.5 lakh families got housing during this period.

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Regarding average house sizes, Union Territories Andaman and Nicobar and Chandigarh take the lead, while Kerala ranks first among states, with Manipur (897 square feet) and Arunachal Pradesh (805) following closely behind.

Data from this survey contradicts this claim of the Kerala government that the increased building permit fee would not affect the common man since buildings up to 60 square metres were exempted. Only 25.8 percent of the surveyed families built houses below 60 square meters. Also, 53.4 percent relied on bank loans to purchase or build houses.