Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Residential property prices in Czechia have risen substantially faster than household incomes over the past decade, placing the country fourth among European Union member states for the increase in its house-price-to-income ratio. According to Eurostat figures published on 9 November 2026, the Czech ratio increased by 25.8% between 2015 and 2025, compared with an EU-wide increase of 6.8%.
The figures measure changes in residential property prices relative to household income per person, using 2015 as the reference year. An increase indicates that property prices have grown more quickly than incomes, while a decline suggests that income growth has outpaced house-price inflation. The measure tracks changes in affordability conditions over time rather than the absolute cost of purchasing a home in each country.
Portugal recorded the largest increase over the ten-year period, at 60.8%, followed by the Netherlands at 34.3% and Hungary at 26.5%. Czechia followed at 25.8%, while Spain registered an increase of 24.5%. Across the EU, the ratio increased in 17 member states and declined in ten, illustrating differences in housing market developments and household income growth.
Romania recorded the largest reduction in the ratio, at 42.8%, followed by Finland with a decline of 25.2% and Bulgaria at 16.2%. These changes indicate that incomes grew faster than residential property prices over the period, or that property values declined relative to earnings. They do not necessarily mean that housing in these countries is inexpensive or accessible to all households.
Recent Czech housing market figures suggest that property prices have continued to increase, although the annual pace moderated during 2026. According to an analysis by the Czech Banking Association using data from the Czech Statistical Office, residential prices increased by 8.6% year-on-year in the second quarter, compared with 10% in the first quarter. The figures cover residential property prices rather than mortgage borrowing costs or rental expenditure.
Eurostat also monitors how the house-price-to-income ratio compares with its longer-term historical average. This standardised measure identifies periods when property prices have moved unusually far ahead of, or behind, household income trends. Across the EU, the indicator was 7.9% above its long-term average in 2007 and 7.4% above it in 2022, before declining in subsequent years.
By 2025, the EU’s standardised ratio had returned to approximately its historical average, standing just 0.03% above the long-term benchmark. This aggregate position nevertheless conceals substantial differences between individual housing markets. Countries such as Czechia, Hungary and Portugal experienced much stronger relative price growth over the preceding decade than the EU average.
For the Czech residential market, the findings provide a longer-term perspective on housing affordability alongside current mortgage financing conditions and housing supply. Although the price-to-income ratio does not account directly for interest rates, deposits or regional differences in earnings, it indicates that property values have increased considerably faster than household incomes since 2015. Combined with elevated mortgage borrowing costs, this remains an important consideration for households seeking to purchase residential property.
Sources: Eurostat, CBA and Czech Statistical Office
