Taiwan and China see steep housing market declines in first half of 2026

In the first half of 2026, North Taiwan’s new‑home and pre‑sale project volume fell 36% to about NT$4.6 trillion, with Taipei City’s volume halving to NT$770 billion (down 50.2%) and New Taipei City slipping 48.5% to NT$1.48 trillion. Other areas such as Taoyuan also declined, while Hsinchu stood out with a 53.7% increase to NT$813 billion, driven by large‑scale projects.

Meanwhile, mainland China’s top 100 property developers recorded a 16.1% year‑on‑year drop in sales, totalling roughly RMB 15.9 trillion. Only three firms surpassed RMB 1 trillion in sales, one fewer than the previous year, and the number of companies exceeding RMB 100 billion fell to 34, down 12. Sales became more concentrated in first‑tier cities, accounting for 45.5% of the total, while state‑owned enterprises gained market share and many local and private developers experienced sharp declines of over 50%. Analysts say the market’s recovery will be gradual, hindered by demographic trends, high vacancy rates and shifting buyer expectations.