Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2023. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 117.5 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

Chinese buyers comprise one of the largest groups of foreign buyers of residential property in the United States. In 2017, a record number of residential properties were bought by Chinese nationals, but since then, both the sales volume and percentage of all foreign-bought properties has declined. In 2024, Chinese buyers were responsible for 11 percent of all sales to foreigners. Who is the biggest buyer of U.S. residential property? During the coronavirus pandemic, buyers from Canadian and Mexican origin dominated international transactions. In 2024 Chinese nationals were the second-largest buyers of U.S. residential property. They were also responsible for the largest share of the aggregate value of properties purchased. On average, Chinese bought properties were also substantially more expensive than the ones purchased by other buyer groups, such as Canadians. How has the market developed? The total property sales to foreign buyers peaked at 153 U.S. dollars in 2017, followed by a period of declining transaction value. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly contributed to cross-border transactions remaining subdued. In 2024, the value of property sales to foreigners was the lowest observed since recording began.

Canadians aged 18 to 34 were most likely to plan a home purchase in the next 12 months, according to the results of a survey conducted in January 2023. Approximately 10 percent of the respondents in this age group planned to buy a home in the next year, whereas in the 35 to 44 age group, this share was six percent. The source adds that the average for the country was 43 percent, meaning that 43 percent of Canadians wanted to make a home purchase in the next five years.