LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – Across the European Union, house prices increased by 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Rents also saw a rise of 3.0%, according to Eurostat. When compared to the first quarter, EU home prices moved up by 1.2%, with rents climbing 0.7%. These latest figures indicate ongoing increases in both ownership and rental costs throughout the bloc from April to June.
The euro area experienced similar upward trends in residential property prices. During the quarter, house prices grew by 4.0% from the second quarter of 2025 and increased 1.1% from the previous quarter. The annual growth rate in the euro area slowed from 4.6% in the first quarter. Across the broader EU, yearly house price growth also declined, falling from 5.1% in the first quarter to 4.7% in the second quarter.
Most EU nations reported higher house prices compared to a year earlier. Out of the countries with available data, 23 experienced annual increases, while three saw declines. Portugal led the gains with a 16.5% rise, followed by Bulgaria at 15.5%, and Lithuania at 14.3%. Finland experienced the biggest drop at 2.7%. Prices also decreased by 2.2% in Luxembourg and 0.8% in France during the same period.
Majority of EU markets record quarterly growth in property prices
Quarterly figures also reveal widespread price increases across national housing markets. House prices increased in 24 EU countries with available data. Only two countries saw declines. Lithuania experienced the strongest quarterly gain at 5.0%, followed by Bulgaria at 4.5% and Romania at 4.4%. Hungary faced a 1.4% decrease from the first quarter. France was the only other country with a quarter-on-quarter decrease, with prices down 0.8%.
Another comparison looked at second-quarter prices against the average level of 2025. Under this view, EU house prices rose by 4.1%, while rents increased by 2.6%. Bulgaria showed the largest house price jump at 14.3%, closely followed by Portugal at 14.2%. Lithuania’s increase was 12.8%. Finland and France saw declines of 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively, based on this comparison.
Rental expenses climb uniformly across the EU
Every EU member state experienced a rise in rental prices when compared with the 2025 yearly average. Romania saw the largest increase at 41.2%, with Croatia at 22.1%. Slovenia’s rental costs grew by 10.2%. Estonia and Finland had the smallest increases, both at 0.1%. Luxembourg rents went up by 1.2%, reflecting the significant variation in rental cost trends across the bloc’s countries.
Eurostat tracks residential property prices through its House Price Index. The index includes both new and existing homes bought by households. It covers flats, detached, and terraced properties, regardless of ownership history or purpose. Since the first quarter of 2024, EU house prices have experienced quarterly increases. The upcoming release will report on the third quarter of 2026, scheduled for January 11, 2027.