Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2024. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 116.2 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.

The house price to income ratio in the United States has reached concerning levels, with the index hitting ***** in the fourth quarter of 2024. This indicates that house prices have outpaced income growth by over ** percent since 2015, highlighting a growing affordability crisis in the housing market. The widening gap between home prices and wages is putting homeownership out of reach for many Americans, particularly as real wages have remained stagnant. Rising home prices and stagnant wages While average annual real wages in the United States have increased slightly since 2014, home prices have soared. The median sales price of existing single-family homes reached a record-high in 2024, representing a substantial increase over the past five years. This disparity between wage growth and home price appreciation has led to a significant decrease in housing affordability across the country. Affordability challenges in the U.S. housing market The U.S. Housing Affordability Index, which measures whether a family earning the median income can afford a median-priced home, plummeted in 2024, marking the second-worst year for homebuyers since records began. This decline in affordability is reflected in homebuyer sentiment, with homebuyer sentiment plummeting.

Hungary increased 9% of House Price to Income Ratio in 2019, from a year earlier.

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.

United States US: Price to Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 130.892 2015=100 in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 129.315 2015=100 for 2023. United States US: Price to Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 113.539 2015=100 from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 132.929 2015=100 in 1979 and a record low of 90.287 2015=100 in 2012. United States US: Price to Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database.

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.

Japan JP: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 87.536 Ratio in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 89.289 Ratio for 2023. Japan JP: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 113.262 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 163.202 Ratio in 1973 and a record low of 73.471 Ratio in 2009. Japan JP: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database. The long-term average is calculated over the whole period available when the indicator begins after 1980 or after 1980 if the indicator is longer. This value is used as a reference value. The ratio is calculated by dividing the indicator source on this long-term average, and indexed to a reference value equal to 100.

In the first quarter of 2025, the house price to income ratio in Japan stood at *** representing an increase of *** index points compared to the previous quarter. The ratio is calculated by dividing nominal house prices by the nominal disposable income per head based on net household disposable income.

Israel IL: Price to Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 104.421 2015=100 in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 100.000 2015=100 for 2015. Israel IL: Price to Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 91.925 2015=100 from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 109.755 2015=100 in 1997 and a record low of 70.115 2015=100 in 2007. Israel IL: Price to Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database.

Portugal, the Netherlands and Austria are among the countries where house prices grew the most in comparison to income since 2015. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the house price to income ratio in the Netherlands and Austria exceeded *** index points, indicating that since 2015, house price growth has outpaced income growth by ** percent. In Portugal, the index amounted to *** index points in the same period. This was not the case in all countries in the ranking: In Finland, Bulgaria, and Romania, the opposite trend was observed, showing that incomes grew faster than house prices. The house price to income ratio is calculated as the nominal house prices divided by nominal income per capita, with 2015 chosen as the base year of the index. The ratio signifies the development of housing affordability, with higher figures meaning housing is more unaffordable. There are other indices, such as RHPI (or house price indices corrected by inflation rates) which look at this as well.

Germany DE: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 88.538 Ratio in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 93.578 Ratio for 2023. Germany DE: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 95.901 Ratio from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2024, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 146.141 Ratio in 1981 and a record low of 76.343 Ratio in 2010. Germany DE: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database. The long-term average is calculated over the whole period available when the indicator begins after 1980 or after 1980 if the indicator is longer. This value is used as a reference value. The ratio is calculated by dividing the indicator source on this long-term average, and indexed to a reference value equal to 100.

Affordability ratios calculated by dividing house price deciles by equivalised annual household disposable income deciles.

France FR: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 107.604 Ratio in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 116.870 Ratio for 2023. France FR: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 92.480 Ratio from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2024, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 126.864 Ratio in 2022 and a record low of 71.463 Ratio in 1998. France FR: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database. The long-term average is calculated over the whole period available when the indicator begins after 1980 or after 1980 if the indicator is longer. This value is used as a reference value. The ratio is calculated by dividing the indicator source on this long-term average, and indexed to a reference value equal to 100.

In 2023, Ahmedabad had the most affordable housing market of the eight biggest metropolitan areas in India with a proportion of ** percent of income to monthly instalment of a housing unit. In Mumbai the affordability index was at ** percent, the only city with higher than threshold affordability ratio set at ** percent. However, the affordability index has significantly improved from pre-pandemic times in 2019 for many cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and NCR.

The house price to income ratio in Germany in the first quarter of 2024 declined notably from its peak in 2022. The ratio 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. Germany's index score in the first quarter of 2024 amounted to *****, which means that house price growth had outpaced income growth by about ** percent since 2015. This was below the average house price to income area in the Euro area 16.

This table shows the average House Price/Earnings ratio, which is an important indicator of housing affordability. Ratios are calculated by dividing house price by the median earnings of a borough.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) is based on a 1 per cent sample of employee jobs. Information on earnings and hours is obtained in confidence from employers. It does not cover the self-employed nor does it cover employees not paid during the reference period. Information is as at April each year. The statistics used are workplace based full-time individual earnings.

Pre-2013 Land Registry housing data are for the first half of the year only, so that they are comparable to the ASHE data which are as at April. This is no longer the case from 2013 onwards as this data uses house price data from the ONS House Price Statistics for Small Areas statistical release. Prior to 2006 data are not available for Inner and Outer London.

The lowest 25 per cent of prices are below the lower quartile; the highest 75 per cent are above the lower quartile.
The "lower quartile" property price/income is determined by ranking all property prices/incomes in ascending order.
The 'median' property price/income is determined by ranking all property prices/incomes in ascending order. The point at which one half of the values are above and one half are below is the median.

Regional data has not been published by DCLG since 2012. Data for regions has been calculated by the GLA. Data since 2014 has been calculated by the GLA using Land Registry house prices and ONS Earnings data.

Link to DCLG Live Tables

An interactive map showing the affordability ratios by local authority for 2013, 2014 and 2015 is also available.

Belgium BE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 98.657 2015=100 in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 97.098 2015=100 for 2023. Belgium BE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 72.900 2015=100 from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 104.726 2015=100 in 2021 and a record low of 51.466 2015=100 in 1986. Belgium BE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database.

Sweden SE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 96.751 2015=100 in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 100.955 2015=100 for 2023. Sweden SE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 81.914 2015=100 from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 113.690 2015=100 in 2021 and a record low of 50.997 2015=100 in 1993. Sweden SE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.OECD.AHPI: House Price Index: Seasonally Adjusted: OECD Member: Annual. Nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head. Net household disposable income is used. The population data come from the OECD national accounts database.

The aggregate house price to income ratio of OECD countries from 2005 to 2023 increased overall. In 2023, the aggregate house price to income ratio of the OECD countries amounted to ***** percent, which means that since 2015, the growth of house prices had outpaced income growth by ** percent.This ratio was calculated by dividing nominal house prices by nominal disposable income per head. The house price to income ratio of OECD countries varies strongly.

The house price to income ratio in Francedecreased by *** index points in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the same period the previous year, reflecting a slowdown in the housing market. In 2023, the house price to income ratio amounted to ***** index points. The ratio is calculated by dividing nominal house prices by disposable income per head, with the index value of 100 in 2015. A ratio of *** index points shows that house prices have grown ** percent faster than income since 2015.