House prices in Romania rise 7.8% in Q1, outpacing EU average

Homes in Romania increased in price by 7.8% in Q1 of 2026, above the 4.7% increase in the euro area and the 5.1% hike seen in the EU overall, according to data collected through the House Price Index , published on Thursday, July 2, by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Among the EU member states for which data are available, only Finland reported an annual decline in house prices in the first quarter of 2026, down 2%, while 25 countries recorded annual increases. The largest increases were recorded in Portugal (17.8%), Bulgaria (14.8%), and Slovakia (14.4%). The increase comes after house prices rose by 5.1% in the euro area and by 5.4% in the EU in Q4 of 2025. Romania reported an annual increase of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 6.7% increase in the fourth quarter of 2025. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, house prices increased by 1% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU in the first three months of 2026. Among the EU member states for which data are available, four reported declines in house prices: Finland and Belgium (both down 0.8%), France (down 0.6%), and Hungary (down 0.5%), while 22 recorded increases, with the largest growth in Bulgaria (6.2%), Portugal (3.8%), and Slovakia (3.6%). Romania reported an increase of 3.2% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 1.7% increase in the fourth quarter of 2025. [email protected] (Photo source: Andrey Popov|Dreamstime.com )