Bouncing back
The housing recovery is now in full flow
FOR THE past 12 months The Economist's data on housing markets has been dominated by falling prices. No longer. In half of the 20 countries we monitor, house prices are higher than they were a year ago. And in countries where house prices are still falling, the speed of that the fall is slowing everywhere except for Ireland. Indices in Singapore and Hong Kong suggest housing is around 25% more expensive than it was a year ago. In the most buoyant markets, governments are beginning to look at ways to help curb such froth. Our interactive house-price tool allows you to chart the ups and downs of house prices for 20 of the most important economies over several years (some of the indices go back to 1975). In addition, the chart lets readers compare house prices in real terms and against average incomes, providing ample fodder for arguments that the next crash is either imminent or nowhere in sight, depending on your point of view.
Click here for the interactive house-price chart.