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Global housing markets show divergent mortgage and price trends
Global housing markets are showing divergent trends in mortgage activity and property values. In Spain, June saw a 4% year-on-year decline in home sales, though property prices rose by 8.8% to an average of 2,114 euros per square meter. Despite fewer transactions, mortgage loans for home acquisitions saw a slight increase of 0.2%. Regional data shows significant variation, with Cantabria experiencing a 41.6% price surge.
In Portugal, the housing loan stock reached 118,021 million euros in July, marking an 11% annual increase—the highest since early 2003. Bank valuations for homes also hit a record median of 2,240 euros per square meter, a 15.2% annual rise.
Brazil reported record-breaking real estate financing through savings resources, reaching R$ 20.96 billion in July, a 76.7% increase compared to the previous year. This performance has led Abecip to raise its 2026 growth projections for housing credit.
Conversely, the United States market faces headwinds. Housing starts fell 12.4% in July due to economic uncertainty and high financing costs. New single-family home sales dropped 10.5% in July, while foreclosure filings increased by 10% year-over-year, signaling rising financial pressure on some homeowners.
Entities
ABECIP · Banco de Portugal · Canarias · Canary Islands · Castilla-La Mancha · Comisión para el Mercado Financiero · Consejo General del Notariado · Guadalajara · Idealista · Instituto Nacional de Estadística · Portugal · Spain
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The average age of leaving the parental home has risen to 30 years, compared to the European average of 26.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Housing purchase prices increased by 14.7% annually over the last year.
- [● 5 SOURCES] 44.3% of young people aged 26 to 34 were still living in their parental homes in 2025.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Rental prices increased by 10.9% over the last year.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Only 14.5% of young people aged 16 to 29 have achieved independence.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Individuals living alone spend an average of 98.7% of their salary on housing.