Access to housing deteriorated in the second quarter of 2026 as a result of the rise in interest rates, the push of foreign demand, and a higher level of household indebtedness, according to the index that the Asufin association compiles each quarter.
Specifically, the indicator rose to 106.86 points between April and June, more than five points above the figure for the three previous months.
Practically all the factors that make up the index put accessibility downwards, except for supply, which provides a slight breathing space: 24,991 building permits for new construction, 9.3% more year-on-year. The rest of the variables contributes to making and buying a home more expensive and more difficult, both due to interest rates and the average amounts of mortgages, and due to foreign demand. It also adds tension, on the demand side, through the increase in the number of property sales and mortgages formalized.
In detail, the average mortgage rate, both fixed and variable, rises to 2.96%, which is reflected in the average payment, which increases by 52.19 euros per month for each 100,000 euros of loan, to reach 842.12 euros. This increase raises the financial burden on households, which goes from 33.11% to 35.30% of the average monthly wage.
In addition, the foreign buyer accounted for 15.98% of the total housing purchases in the quarter, the highest percentage of the entire series recorded. In absolute terms, this is about 26,800 transactions, 11% more than in the same period of the previous year.