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.

Mortgage rates surged at an unprecedented pace in 2022, with the average 10-year fixed rate doubling between March and December of that year. In response to mounting inflation, the Bank of England implemented a series of rate hikes, pushing borrowing costs steadily higher. By October 2025, the average 10-year fixed mortgage rate stood at **** percent. As financing becomes more expensive, housing demand has cooled, weighing on market sentiment and slowing house price growth. How have the mortgage hikes affected the market? After surging in 2021, the number of residential properties sold fell significantly in 2023, dipping to just above *** million transactions. This contraction in activity also dampened mortgage lending. Between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the value of new mortgage loans declined year-on-year for five consecutive quarters. Even as rates eased modestly in 2024 and housing activity picked up slightly, volumes remained well below the highs recorded in 2021. How are higher mortgages impacting homebuyers? For homeowners, the impact is being felt most acutely as fixed-rate deals expire. Mortgage terms in the UK typically range from two to ten years, and many borrowers who locked in historically low rates are now facing significantly higher repayments when refinancing. By the end of 2026, an estimated five million homeowners will see their mortgage deals expire. Roughly two million of these loans are projected to experience a monthly payment increase of up to *** British pounds by 2026, putting additional pressure on household budgets and constraining affordability across the market.

Mortgage interest rates in the UK were on a downward trend for more than a decade before soaring in 2022. In the first quarter of 2025, the average weighted interest rate stood at **** percent — nearly ***** times the interest rate in the first quarter of 2022. Mortgage rates also vary depending on the type of mortgage: Historically, fixed rate mortgages with a shorter term had on average lower interest rates. What types of mortgages are there? In terms of the type of interest rate, mortgages can be fixed and variable. A fixed interest rate is simply a mortgage where the rate of repayment is fixed, while a variable rate depends on the lender’s underlying variable interest rate. Furthermore, mortgages could be for a house purchase or for refinancing. The vast majority of mortgages in the UK are fixed rate mortgages for house purchase, and only a small share is for remortgaging. How big is the UK mortgage market? The UK has the largest mortgage market in Europe, amounting to over ** billion euros in gross residential mortgage lending as of the fourth quarter of 2024. When comparing the total outstanding residential mortgage lending, the UK also ranks first with about *** trillion euros.

Context

Demand for houses has exploded in the UK in the last two years due to the pandemic. As a result, it feels like it is becoming more difficult for young people to afford to buy a house in the near future. I wanted to collect data to see if this sentiment is backed up by numbers.

Content

In this folder you will find the average house price in the UK between between 1975 and 2020, the median wage in the UK between 1999 and 2020. Both of these metrics have been adjusted by inflation up to 2020.

This folder also contains a table containing data on the wage gap in 2021, in the UK and by age group.

Sources

Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/802183/annual-pay-employees-in-the-uk/ and https://www.statista.com/statistics/1002964/average-full-time-annual-earnings-in-the-uk/.

allAgents: https://www.allagents.co.uk/house-prices-adjusted/.

Bank of England: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator.

Mortgage rates in the United Kingdom have been on the rise since 2022, leading to an increased cost burden for buy-to-let landlords. In August 2023, the average mortgage cost amounted to ** percent of rental income. In the same month of 2022, this figure amounted to ** percent.

Median price paid for residential property in England and Wales, by property type and administrative geographies. Annual data.

Affordability ratios calculated by dividing house prices by gross annual residence-based earnings. Based on the median and lower quartiles of both house prices and earnings in England and Wales.

When comparing the mortgage or rental costs incurred by owners with mortgage, private renters and social renters in England, private renters pay a considerably larger share of their income than the other two groups. While owner occupiers with mortgages paid approximately **** percent of their income on mortgage in 2024, private renters paid ** percent, or more than *********. In terms of average monthly costs, renting a three-bedroom house is more expensive than buying.

Mortgage interest rates in Europe soared in 2022 and remained elevated in the following two years. In many countries, this resulted in mortgage interest rates across the region more than doubling. In the first quarter of 2025, the average mortgage interest rate in the UK stood at **** percent. Spain had the lowest rate, at **** percent, while Poland had the highest, at *** percent. Why did mortgage interest rates increase? Mortgage rates have risen as a result of the European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate increase. The ECB increased its interest rates to tackle inflation. As inflation calms, the ECB is expected to cut rates, which allows mortgage lenders to reduce mortgage interest rates. What is the impact of interest rates on home buying? Lower interest rates make taking out a housing loan more affordable, and thus, encourage home buying. That can be seen in many countries across Europe: In France, the number of residential properties sold rose in the years leading up to 2021, and fell as interest rates increased. The number of houses sold in the UK followed a similar trend.

Median price paid for residential property in England and Wales, for all property types by lower layer super output area. Annual data..

United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North West data was reported at 168,261.000 GBP in May 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 167,685.000 GBP for Apr 2020. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North West data is updated monthly, averaging 137,256.000 GBP from Jan 2005 (Median) to May 2020, with 185 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 168,261.000 GBP in May 2020 and a record low of 117,630.000 GBP in Feb 2005. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North West data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by HM Land Registry. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.EB016: Average House Prices: HM Land Registry.

United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North East data was reported at 134,545.000 GBP in May 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 127,761.000 GBP for Apr 2020. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North East data is updated monthly, averaging 123,135.000 GBP from Jan 2005 (Median) to May 2020, with 185 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 139,400.000 GBP in Jul 2007 and a record low of 110,454.000 GBP in Feb 2005. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: North East data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by HM Land Registry. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.EB016: Average House Prices: HM Land Registry.

Mortgage Rate in the United Kingdom remained unchanged at 6.78 percent in October. This dataset provides - United Kingdom BBA Mortgage Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

United Kingdom Average House Prices: England data was reported at 251,973.000 GBP in May 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 251,439.000 GBP for Apr 2020. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England data is updated monthly, averaging 186,711.000 GBP from Jan 2005 (Median) to May 2020, with 185 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 251,973.000 GBP in May 2020 and a record low of 158,572.000 GBP in Jan 2005. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by HM Land Registry. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.EB016: Average House Prices: HM Land Registry.

As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of residential mortgage approvals in the United Kingdom (UK) plummeted in the second quarter of 2020. With the easing of the measures, the market quickly headed for recovery. Nevertheless, the total number of mortgage approvals in 2020 remained below the ********* average.

The benchmark interest rate in the United Kingdom was last recorded at 4 percent. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Interest Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: South West data was reported at 261,006.000 GBP in May 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 262,155.000 GBP for Apr 2020. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: South West data is updated monthly, averaging 198,960.000 GBP from Jan 2005 (Median) to May 2020, with 185 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 262,155.000 GBP in Apr 2020 and a record low of 171,356.000 GBP in Apr 2009. United Kingdom Average House Prices: England: South West data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by HM Land Registry. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.EB016: Average House Prices: HM Land Registry.

Affordability ratios calculated by dividing house prices by gross annual workplace-based earnings. Based on the median and lower quartiles of both house prices and earnings in England and Wales.