LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – European Union house prices increased by 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the previous year. During the same timeframe, rents grew by 3.0%, maintaining their upward momentum across the bloc. Eurostat noted that house prices also rose by 1.2% from the first quarter, while rental costs went up by 0.7%. These data indicate that housing expenses continued to climb across much of the EU during this quarter.
Within the euro area, the pace of house price growth slowed compared to the broader EU. Prices increased by 4.0% year-over-year and 1.1% from the previous quarter. The annual growth rate also eased from 4.6% in the first quarter of 2026, when euro area prices had risen by that percentage. Overall, EU annual house price growth decreased from 5.1% in the first quarter to 4.7% in the second.
Data from individual countries revealed widespread annual gains, though the extent of price changes varied significantly among member states. Out of the countries with available figures, 23 experienced increases in house prices, while three saw declines. Portugal led the increases with a 16.5% rise, followed by Bulgaria at 15.5% and Lithuania at 14.3%. Conversely, prices dropped by 2.7% in Finland, 2.2% in Luxembourg, and 0.8% in France.
Broad-based quarterly growth persists across EU housing markets
Most EU countries experienced rising house prices during the April-to-June period, based on quarterly data. Prices increased in 24 member states with available data, with only two countries recording decreases. Lithuania experienced the highest quarterly increase at 5.0%, followed by Bulgaria at 4.5% and Romania at 4.4%. Hungary saw a decline of 1.4%, and in France, house prices fell by 0.8% from the previous quarter.
A comparison with the 2025 annual average also shows housing costs continuing to rise within the EU. House prices in the second quarter of 2026 were 4.1% higher than the previous year’s average, while rents increased by 2.6%. Bulgaria led on this measure with a 14.3% rise in house prices, followed by Portugal at 14.2% and Lithuania at 12.8%. Finland and France experienced decreases of 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively.
Rents rise across every EU member state
When comparing the second quarter to the 2025 annual average, rental prices increased in every EU country. Romania posted the largest jump at 41.2%, with Croatia at 22.1% and Slovenia at 10.2%. Estonia and Finland recorded the smallest increases at 0.1% each, while rents in Luxembourg rose by 1.2%. These figures highlight the diverse movements in rental prices across the national housing markets.
Eurostat tracks residential property price changes using the House Price Index, which encompasses new and existing homes bought by households. The index includes flats, detached, and terraced houses, regardless of their previous ownership or intended use. Since the first quarter of 2024, EU house prices have experienced consecutive quarterly increases. The upcoming release, covering the third quarter of 2026, is scheduled for January 11, 2027.