European Statistics on Housing Prices and beyond

Among the statistics published by Eurostat are housing price statistics but also many other housing related statistics. These statistics are key for policy makers but also for households due to their economic, social and environmental importance. European statistics on house prices are part of the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP), which is a surveillance mechanism that aims to identify potential macroeconomic risks early on, prevent the emergence of harmful macroeconomic imbalances and correct the imbalances that are already in place. In the surveillance of the COVID 19 impact on economic activities housing prices play a role as well. Every quarter, Eurostat publishes indices on: house prices with a breakdown for new and existing dwellings, owner occupiers housing price indices, numbers and volumes of house sales. Beyond these indices, Eurostat also publishes many economic, social and environmental statistics related to housing allowing analysis of trends and correlations as well as comparisons between countries and European averages. In particular, they aim at providing answers to questions on: How do we live? With indicators on (a) tenure status (owner or tenant), dwelling type (house, flat) by degree of urbanisation, (b) the size of housing, (c) the quality of housing and (d) the environmental impact of housing. What does housing cost? With indicators on (a) the evolution of house prices and rents and (b) housing affordability. What is the importance of the construction sector in the economy and land use? An overview of these statistics can be found in the following online publication released for the first time in December 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/digpub/housing The presentation will guide to find the relevant information on the Eurostat website which is free of charge and can be consulted on https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/.