The Housing Affordability Index value in the United States plummeted in 2022, surpassing the historical record of ***** index points in 2006. In 2024, the housing affordability index measured **** index points, making it the second-worst year for homebuyers since the start of the observation period. What does the Housing Affordability Index mean? The Housing Affordability Index uses data provided by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). It measures whether a family earning the national median income can afford the monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced existing single-family home. An index value of 100 means that a family has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a home. The higher the index value, the more affordable a house is to a family. Key factors that drive the real estate market Income, house prices, and mortgage rates are some of the most important factors influencing homebuyer sentiment. When incomes increase, consumer power also increases. The median household income in the United States declined in 2022, affecting affordability. Additionally, mortgage interest rates have soared, adding to the financial burden of homebuyers. The sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. has increased year-on-year since 2011 and reached ******* U.S. dollars in 2023.

Home affordability has worsened substantially in Canada since 2021. In the first quarter of 2025, the monthly single-family mortgage payment amounted to approximately 61.7 percent of a household's income, on average. In 2021, when affordability had improved slightly, the average mortgage payment constituted 46.5 percent of a household's income.

The aim of the paper is to provide an ex-post assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in the EU-27 countries expressed by physical and economic food access. We analysed trade and price effects, together with food insecurity and malnutrition indicators. Actual levels of the indicators were compared with their pre-pandemic magnitudes and/or with counterfactual levels derived from predictive models. We also aimed to compare the objective statistics with the subjective consumers’ perception of their households’ food security. Our research indicates that the EU food trade was more resilient to COVID-19 impacts than the trade in non-food products, while food trade decreases were of a temporary nature. This did not affect the trade balance significantly; however, the import reduction threatened the physical food access in most EU countries. Regarding economic food access, the results indicate that the increase in food prices was offset by the increase in disposable income. It may suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the deterioration of economic access to food in the EU countries. However, the prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population or the proportion of households reporting inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent increased in 2020–2021 compared to 2019. This means that the comparative analysis of the real data on prices and households’ income, as well as consumer financial situation and food consumption affordability, does not offer a clear answer concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food security of EU households.

Differences between actual and predicted series of international trade in the EU countries during the COVID-19 pandemic (%).

Prospective homebuyers in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario, needed an annual income of over ******* Canadian dollars in June 2025 to qualify for the average priced home. In Vancouver, this figure was approximately ******* Canadian dollars. British Columbia and Ontario, are Canada's most expensive provinces for housing. According to a January 2025 forecast by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the housing market is expected to grow in the next two years, which is likely to worsen home affordability.

Housing affordability in the UK has worsened notably since 2020, with the share of income spent on mortgage payments rising for first-time and repeat buyers. In 2024, homebuyers spent, on average, 20.5 percent of their income on mortgage payments, up from 16.2 percent in 2020. First-time buyers spent a notably higher percentage than repeat buyers. One of the main factors for the declining affordability is the rising housing costs. House prices have increased rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage rates have also soared since, leading to notably higher monthly payments.

Due to interest rates decreasing in recent years, mortgages in the United Kingdom have become overall more affordable: In 2007, when mortgages were the least affordable, a home buyer spent on average **** percent of their income on mortgage interest and *** percent on capital repayment. In 2019, the year with the most affordable mortgages, mortgage interest accounted for *** percent and capital repayment was **** percent of their income. As interest rates increase in response to the rising inflation, mortgage affordability is expected to worsen. Though below the levels observed before 2007, the total mortgage repayment between 2022 and 2026 is expected to exceed ** percent of income.

The number of new homes sold increased in 2024, but remained below the levels observed during the 2020-2021 housing boom. Conventional loans are the most popular financing option, accounting for 513,000 of the 686,000 home purchases in 2024. Despite comprising a small share of sales, cash purchases have risen notably over the past five years. This can be explained by the dramatic increase in mortgage interest rates, which makes cash purchases more attractive for those who can afford them. Development of house prices The U.S. housing market is suffering a supply shortage, which has contributed to a substantial increase in house prices. Over the past five years, construction costs risen notably, pushing the price of newly built homes up. Meanwhile, income growth has failed to keep up, resulting in a worsening housing affordability. According to the house price to income index, home prices outgrew income by nearly 32 percent between 2015 and 2024. Is the U.S. housing stock growing? There were approximately 187 million housing units in the U.S. in 2024, indicating an increase of one percent over the previous year. Apart from new-single family housing, the number of newly built multifamily units has also risen notably. Multifamily allows construction in denser urban areas with overheated housing markets, earning it increasing popularity among investors.

Mortgage originations in the United States plummeted in 2021 and 2022, after soaring to an all-time high in the previous two years. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the value of new mortgage originations amounted to 494 billion U.S. dollars, about 200 billion U.S. dollars higher than the dip in the first quarter of 2023. These fluctuations were mostly because of the development of mortgage interest rates and mortgage lending for home refinance: While interest rates were at a record low in 2020, many homebuyers used the opportunity to refinance their loan. After rates increased, refinancing declined dramatically. How have home sales developed? Over the past decade, the annual number of homes sold in the U.S. ranged between 4.7 million and 6.9 million, with the number of sales of existing homes far outweighing that of newly built homes sold. Housing transactions have generally declined since 2021 because of the less favorable credit conditions and worsening housing affordability. Cash purchases on the rise Although buying in cash is largely uncommon in the U.S., the number of houses bought with cash has increased since 2009. For those who can afford it, a cash purchase provides a number of benefits. Most importantly, cash buyers save from mortgage payments. Additionally, the closing time on these transactions time faster, which gives a competitive advantage in markets with a lot of competition.