VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Property prices in Malta have risen by nearly 45% over the past six years, according to official figures released by the National Statistics Office (NSO), renewing concerns over housing affordability.
The NSO’s Residential Property Price Index reached 104.19 in the first quarter of 2026, up 6.7% from a year earlier and 1.8% higher than the previous quarter. The annual increase marks the fastest pace of price growth since 2022.
Apartments recorded the sharpest rise, increasing by 6.9% year-on-year, while maisonette prices climbed 5.3%.
Since the first quarter of 2020, the index has risen from 72.54 to 104.19. Separate NSO data shows the average house price increased from €163,560 in 2020 to €237,749 in 2025.
The latest figures come despite signs of a slowing economy, with the Central Bank reporting declines in promise-of-sale agreements and final deeds of sale. However, lending to the construction and real estate sectors continued to drive credit growth.
Housing affordability remains under pressure as Malta’s population continues to expand, largely through inward migration, sustaining demand for homes.
A KPMG study found that a young couple on the minimum wage could afford only 2.2% of properties on the market in 2025. Central Bank data also shows homeownership among people under 35 has fallen, while more than a third of first-time buyers now rely on parental support.
The International Monetary Fund has warned of banks’ growing exposure to the property sector, while campaign groups say soaring property and rental costs are putting homeownership beyond the reach of many young Maltese.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
