PropertinspainBuying in Spain from abroad

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Spain property statistics: which sources to trust

By Daniel WhitcombeReviewed by Marta Calderón IbáñezPublished Updated Stage 1: Decide

Quick answer

The statistics office publishes the house price index quarterly, which stood at 12.2% annual growth in the second quarter of 2026. The property registrars publish sales, prices and mortgages. The central bank assesses risk. Each measures something different, so combine them.

Applies toAnyone who wants to check market claims against the original publications.

On this page: 9 sections
  1. The statistics office
  2. The registrars
  3. The central bank
  4. The notaries and the ministry
  5. Reading a release
  6. Asking prices
  7. Keeping up
  8. A short checklist
  9. More on this topic
Checked 26 October 2026by Marta Calderón Ibáñez. Claims on this page are tied to the sources listed at the end.

§ 1The statistics office

The Instituto Nacional de Estadística publishes the Housing Price Index every quarter. The release for the second quarter of 2026, dated 7 September 2026, reports an annual rate of 12.2% for all dwellings, with a quarterly rise of 3.4%. It splits the result into new dwellings at 7.4% and second-hand dwellings at 12.9%. The prices chapter explains the index. This page belongs to the chapter in the market overview explained.

§ 2The registrars

The Colegio de Registradores publishes a quarterly statistic based on the registered deeds. For the second quarter of 2026 it reports 167,934 home sales, an average price of €2,487 per m², 129,240 home mortgages and an average mortgage amount of €176,453. It also gives the share of foreign buyers and the main nationalities, which foreign buyers explained and nationalities of buyers explained discuss.

§ 3The central bank

The Bank of Spain publishes a financial stability report twice a year. The spring 2026 edition has a chapter on real estate that gives its estimate of price overvaluation and describes mortgage lending. It is the best official source on risk, and how the risk of a price fall works explains what it says.

§ 4The notaries and the ministry

The notaries’ council publishes statistics on notarised sales, including purchases by foreign-born buyers. The housing ministry publishes appraised values, and released its second-quarter 2026 figure on 17 September 2026; the third quarter is scheduled for 19 November 2026. The notaries’ first-half 2026 figures are summarised on the foreign buyers page. We read the appraisal figure in press reports only, so we do not quote it. When you cite them, say which series you mean, because their figures differ from the registrars’ for the reasons above.

§ 5Reading a release

Check four things: what is measured, the period, whether the figure is nominal or adjusted for inflation, and whether it is a national figure or a regional one. The central bank, for example, reports both nominal growth of 12.7% and real growth of 9.7% for 2025, and mixing them gives the wrong picture.

§ 6Asking prices

Property portals publish asking prices, which are not sales prices. They move earlier than registered sales and are useful as a hint of direction, but they are not official statistics. The central bank itself flags that its figure for rental asking prices is not an official statistic.

§ 7Keeping up

Releases follow a calendar. Check the issuer’s site for the next date and note the period it covers. This handbook cites the release and the date we read it, and updates its pages when new releases arrive.

§ 8A short checklist

Before you quote a number, write down the issuer, the title of the release, the period it covers, whether it is national or regional and whether it is nominal or real. If you cannot fill all five, find a better source.

§ 9More on this topic

How the rental market works explains what official sources say about rents and how whether Spain has a bubble works explains how today compares with the years before 2008.

FAQRelated questions

Which statistic should I start with?

Start with the price index from the statistics office for the direction of prices, and the registrars’ quarterly release for sales and buyers. Add the central bank’s stability report for risk. Together they cover price, volume and vulnerability.

Why do sources disagree?

They measure different things at different moments: an index of prices, registered sales, notarised sales or asking prices. A notarised deal and a registered one can fall in different quarters. Compare like with like and note the dates.

How current are the releases?

Quarterly releases arrive weeks after the quarter ends. The price index for April to June 2026 appeared on 7 September 2026. That means every figure describes a recent past and not today.

Sources

About this page

Written by

Daniel Whitcombe

Writer, buying and living in Spain

Daniel writes the chapters on how a purchase runs, who can buy, where to buy and how to check a location. He writes for readers who are new to the Spanish system and prefers plain explanations that name the official source. He is not a lawyer or adviser.

Reviewed by Marta Calderón Ibáñez, chief editor and source editor, 26 October 2026. Checked: Figures and rules checked against the official texts listed below

Found an error? Report it. Each report gets a dated reply, and confirmed corrections are logged on the updates page.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.