Prices for the acquisition and ownership of owner-occupied homes in Bulgaria rose 11.7% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, the second-highest increase among EU Member States with available data after Croatia, according to Eurostat data, published on Monday. Bulgaria also recorded the EU’s second-highest quarterly increase at 4.3%.
The owner-occupied housing price index (OOHPI) measures changes in prices paid by households for acquiring dwellings that are new to the household sector, mainly newly built homes, as well as other costs related to ownership and transfer of ownership.
The index increased year-on-year in 25 of the 26 EU countries with available data. Croatia recorded the highest increase, at 12%, followed by Bulgaria (11.7%), Lithuania (10.8%), Portugal (10.6%), Sweden (10.5%) and Romania (10.4%). Compared with the previous quarter, Romania (4.7%), Bulgaria (4.3%) and Lithuania (3.5%) recorded the biggest increases.
Across the EU, the index increased by 4.4% year-on-year in the second quarter, while the euro area recorded a 4% increase. Since the fourth quarter of 2020, the index has risen by 36.3% in the EU and 33.5% in the euro area.
Newly built homes accounted for 75.4% of the index in Bulgaria in 2026, the highest share among countries providing data. In the EU, the largest component was self-build dwellings and major renovations, accounting for 41.6%, followed by purchases of newly built homes at 21.6% and major repairs and maintenance at 20%.
Among the components of the EU index, housing insurance recorded the largest annual increase, at 7.4%. Other services related to the acquisition of a dwelling rose by 5.9%, while major repairs and maintenance increased by 3.3%.
Bulgaria Has EU’s Second-Highest Increase in Owner-Occupied Housing Costs in Second Quarter of 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-05 11:55:00
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