LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to European Union, house prices expanded by 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Rents also saw a rise of 3.0% during this period, as per Eurostat. When compared with the first quarter, the EU experienced a 1.2% increase in home prices, and rents went up by 0.7%. The latest data confirms that both buying and renting costs continued to climb across the bloc from April through June.
The euro zone also experienced growth in residential property values during this quarter. House prices increased by 4.0% from the second quarter of 2025 and grew by 1.1% from the previous quarter. The annual growth rate in the euro zone slowed slightly from 4.6% in the first quarter. Across the broader EU, yearly house price growth decelerated from 5.1% in the first quarter to 4.7% in the second.
Most member countries of the EU reported higher house prices compared to the previous year. Of those with available data, 23 nations experienced annual gains, while three countries saw declines. Portugal led the group with a 16.5% increase, followed by Bulgaria at 15.5% and Lithuania at 14.3%. Finland was the only country to record the largest drop at 2.7%. Additionally, Luxembourg’s prices fell 2.2% and France’s by 0.8% during the same period.
Most EU markets see quarterly house price increases
Quarterly trends also reveal widespread price growth in national housing markets. House prices increased in 24 EU countries with available data and declined in only two. Lithuania experienced the strongest quarterly rise at 5.0%, followed by Bulgaria at 4.5% and Romania at 4.4%. Hungary saw a 1.4% decrease from the first quarter, while France was the only other nation with a quarterly fall, with prices down 0.8%.
A different comparison evaluated second-quarter prices against the average level recorded throughout 2025. Based on this, EU house prices were 4.1% higher, and rents increased by 2.6%. Bulgaria had the largest house price growth at 14.3%, with Portugal close behind at 14.2%. Lithuania’s increase was 12.8%. Finland and France experienced declines of 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively, in this comparison.
Rents continue to rise across all member states
When comparing with the 2025 annual average, rental costs increased in every EU member country. Romania saw the highest jump at 41.2%, with Croatia following at 22.1%. Slovenia recorded a 10.2% rise, while Estonia and Finland experienced minimal increases of 0.1%. Rents in Luxembourg increased by 1.2%, illustrating the significant variation in rental cost changes among the bloc’s nations.
Eurostat monitors residential property prices through its House Price Index, which includes both new and existing homes purchased by households. The index accounts for flats, detached houses, and terraced properties, regardless of ownership history or intended use. Since the first quarter of 2024, EU house prices have continued to record quarterly increases. The upcoming release will cover data for the third quarter of 2026 and is scheduled for January 11, 2027.