A person signs documents while being handed house keys.

In 2023, the number of housing transactions decreased in 13 out of the 16 EU countries for which data are available, compared with 2022. This marks the second consecutive year that the majority of reporting countries have registered drops in sales. 

The largest decreases in the number of transactions in 2023 were recorded in Luxembourg (-43.3%), Austria (-26.4%), Hungary and Finland (each -24.5%). In contrast, increases were registered in Cyprus (+31.0%), Poland (+3.9%) and Ireland (+0.6%).

annual rate of change in the number of housing transactions, 2022 and 2023, %. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: prc_hpi_hsna

The year before, in 2022, 10 out of 16 reporting countries registered decreases in the number of sales. The largest decrease was registered in Denmark (-24.8%), while the number of sales increased the most in Cyprus (+27.4%).

In 2020, the housing market was influenced by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a general drop in housing transactions due to lockdown measures, with only 4 of the 16 EU countries for which data are available registering increases in sales. In 2021, in turn, house sales went up in 14 EU countries.

For more information

Methodological notes

  • House sales statistics are provided by the Member States on a voluntary basis.
  • The data on housing transactions covers the transactions of new and existing dwellings (apartments and houses) where the buyer is a household.

If you have any queries, please visit our contact us page.