A notable recovery in 2021
Real estate market activity in Spain recovered spectacularly in 2021, after collapsing in 2020 due to the lockdown measures introduced to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic. Nearly 670,000 real estate transactions took place last year, a level not seen since 20071 (see chart 1). According to INE, housing prices rose by 3.7% in 2021, continuing the strong pace of the last six years (average yearly increase of 4.9% between 2015 and 2020). Although housing prices are still 10% below their peak in summer 2007, price growth is accelerating. Figures from Tinsa show that this trend continued in the first quarter of 2022, with a 6.8% year-on-year increase in March. This indicator is well correlated with the INE quarterly index.
However, these figures hide significant differences between regions. In the Madrid area and tourist and/or densely populated regions (Balearic Islands, Melilla, Ceuta), real estate prices have recorded rapid growth since 2015; indeed prices in some regions are now higher than they were in 2007/2008. Conversely, in rural and more sparsely populated regions (Extremadura, Castile and León, Navarre, Aragon), prices are fluctuating at least 20% below their levels of fifteen years ago. This said, the number of real estate transactions in most of these areas has also started to rise, suggesting that price increases could be more rapid this year.
Download The Full EcoFlash