>My country's population peaked in 1999, while its urbanization fell by almost one percentage point during the last decade, yet housing is getting more expensiv

>My country's population peaked in 1999, while its urbanization fell by almost one percentage point during the last decade, yet housing is getting more expensive at an alarming pace. Metro areas in Poland are absolutely growing. The problem with part of your argument is twofold. First, is the faith in official statistics. People moving to large cities for university/work almost never officially change their "zameldowanie" unless they get kids and want to find place in kindergarten. Second, is the growth in "metro areas" compared to "urban areas". "Villages" such as Józefosław or Nowa Iwiczna have experienced extreme growth since 1999, and prices there directly affect prices in Warsaw. The same effect works in all metro areas except for Silesia. You're 100% right in the rest of the post though.