Hungarian home prices fell quarter on quarter

The Hungarian Central Statistical Office said on 9 October that home prices fell 2.5% from the previous quarter in the first quarter of 2026. Prices nevertheless stood 8.6% higher in nominal terms and 6.7% higher in real terms than a year earlier. For Hungarian buyers and sellers, the figures combine a short-term cooling signal with a still-high annual price level.

The office currently records 11% fewer first-quarter transactions than a year earlier, but says the total could reach the 2025 level once late contracts are processed. Nearly 147,000 transactions have so far been registered for 2025, a count that remains provisional because reporting continues. Across the EU’s 27 member states, the aggregate home-price index rose 5.1% year on year.

The national average does not describe the path of any single settlement or housing type. Assessing the quarterly turn therefore requires the detailed regional breakdown, the split between new and existing homes, and a more complete transaction register.

The release complements our coverage of the MNB’s mortgage loan-to-value data and August building permits. The next KSH release may revise the transaction picture as more contracts arrive. Differences between settlement types and between new and existing homes will be important when assessing the annual increase.