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.

The house price to income ratio in the U.S. increased in 2023, after falling slightly in the second half of 2022. The ratio measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing the nominal house price by the nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. In the third quarter of 2024, the index score amounted to 130.3, which means that house price growth has outpaced income growth by over 30 percent since 2015.Stagnant wages Average annual real wages steadily rose until 2014 but have since remained stagnant. However, single-family house prices have continued to increase. This disparity has resulted in decreased housing affordability. Average wages needed to buy a home The share of wages needed to buy a median priced home in the United States has been steadily increasing since 2012. This trend is reflected in the house price to income ratio as well. The availability of affordable housing will become more important, if the price to income ratio continues to develop in this way.

The house price to income index in Europe declined in almost all European countries in 2023, indicating that income grew faster than house prices. Portugal, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands led the house price to income index ranking in 2023, with values exceeding 125 index points. Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland were on the other side of the spectrum, with less than 100 index points. The house price to income ratio is an indicator for the development of housing affordability across OECD countries and is calculated as the nominal house prices divided by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 chosen as a base year. A ratio higher than 100 means that the nominal house price growth since 2015 has outpaced the nominal disposable income growth, and housing is therefore comparatively less affordable. In 2023, the OECD average stood at 117.4 index points.

Japan JP: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 89.185 Ratio in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 87.364 Ratio for 2022. Japan JP: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 113.334 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 163.015 Ratio in 1973 and a record low of 73.387 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.

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.

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

The house price to income ratio in Sweden in the first quarter of 2024 has declined notably since its peak in 2022. The house price to income ratio is calculated by dividing nominal house prices by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. Sweden's index score in the first quarter of 2024 amounted to 96.5, which means that income growth has outpaced house price growth by 3.5 percent since 2015. This was lower than the average house price to income reatio in the Euro area 16.

Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio: Taipei City data was reported at 14.990 Times in Dec 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.120 Times for Sep 2017. Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio: Taipei City data is updated quarterly, averaging 11.770 Times from Mar 2002 (Median) to Dec 2017, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.160 Times in Mar 2015 and a record low of 5.890 Times in Dec 2002. Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio: Taipei City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.EB017: Housing Price and Housing Loan Payment to Income Ratio.

Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio data was reported at 9.160 Times in Dec 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.220 Times for Sep 2017. Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio data is updated quarterly, averaging 6.735 Times from Mar 2002 (Median) to Dec 2017, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.460 Times in Jun 2017 and a record low of 4.150 Times in Sep 2002. Taiwan Housing Price to Income Ratio data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.EB017: Housing Price and Housing Loan Payment to Income Ratio.

Global House Standardised Price-Income Ratio by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Graph and download economic data for Real Residential Property Prices for United States (QUSR628BIS) from Q1 1970 to Q3 2024 about residential, HPI, housing, real, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Germany DE: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 93.521 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 108.353 Ratio for 2022. Germany DE: Standardised Price-Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 97.264 Ratio from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2023, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 146.052 Ratio in 1981 and a record low of 76.297 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.

Annual house price data based on a sub-sample of the Regulated Mortgage Survey.

The house price to income ratio in Francedecreased by 8.3 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 104.5 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 110 index points shows that house prices have grown 10 percent faster than income since 2015.

The house price ratio in Norway fluctuated between 2012 and 2024. 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. Norway's index score in the first quarter of 2024 amounted to 110, which means that house price growth had outpaced income growth by 10 percent since 2015. This was lower than the average house price to income ratio in the Euro area 16.

The housing affordability measure illustrates the relationship between income and housing costs. A household that spends 30% or more of its collective monthly income to cover housing costs is considered to be “housing cost-burden[ed].”[1] Those spending between 30% and 49.9% of their monthly income are categorized as “moderately housing cost-burden[ed],” while those spending more than 50% are categorized as “severely housing cost-burden[ed].”[2]

How much a household spends on housing costs affects the household’s overall financial situation. More money spent on housing leaves less in the household budget for other needs, such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care, as well as for incidental purchases and saving for the future.

The estimated housing costs as a percentage of household income are categorized by tenure: all households, those that own their housing unit, and those that rent their housing unit.

Throughout the period of analysis, the percentage of housing cost-burdened renter households in Champaign County was higher than the percentage of housing cost-burdened homeowner households in Champaign County. All three categories saw year-to-year fluctuations between 2005 and 2023, and none of the three show a consistent trend. However, all three categories were estimated to have a lower percentage of housing cost-burdened households in 2023 than in 2005.

Data on estimated housing costs as a percentage of monthly income was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Housing Tenure.

[1] Schwarz, M. and E. Watson. (2008). Who can afford to live in a home?: A look at data from the 2006 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau.

[2] Ibid.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (17 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (22 September 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (30 September 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (10 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (10 June 2021).;U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (14 September 2017).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; 16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25106; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

Graph and download economic data for Other Financial Information: Estimated Market Value of Owned Home by Deciles of Income Before Taxes: Lowest 10 Percent (1st to 10th Percentile) (CXU800721LB1502M) from 2014 to 2023 about owned, market value, information, percentile, tax, financial, income, housing, estimate, and USA.

Belgium BE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data was reported at 97.066 2015=100 in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 102.148 2015=100 for 2022. Belgium BE: Price to Income Ratio: sa data is updated yearly, averaging 71.817 2015=100 from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 104.712 2015=100 in 2021 and a record low of 51.468 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.

Housing Index in Spain increased to 1972.10 EUR/SQ. METRE in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 1921 EUR/SQ. METRE in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Spain House Prices - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In the third quarter of 2024, the house price to income ratio in Japan stood at 117.5 representing an increase of 0.8 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.