Despite the renewed growth in transactions, the share of foreigners was 19.3%, lower than last year (20.3%) and the year before (21.3%). This is the lowest figure in the last three and a half years.
Residents and non-residents
Notarial statistics show that foreign residents accounted for 60.9% of transactions (43,306), up 6.4% year-on-year. In turn, transactions involving non-residents were 4.1% fewer (27,849) than a year earlier.
Leaders by nationality
- British – 5,731 (8.1% of the total);
- Moroccans – 5,654 (7.9%);
- Germany – 4,756 (6.7%);
- Italy – 4,513;
- Romania – 4,480;
- Netherlands – 4,166;
- France – 3,980;
- Belgium – 2,908.
Where non-residents and residents buy
Among foreign non-residents, the largest shares correspond to citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, who accounted for most of the transactions. The British were the main participants in Murcia (28.7%) and Andalusia (15.5%), while Germans ranked first in the Balearic Islands (50%), Extremadura (29.6%) and the Canary Islands (22%). The Dutch stood out in Murcia (15.2%) and the Valencian Community (14.9%), while Belgians – in Aragon (12.8%) and Asturias (11.7%).
Among foreign residents, Moroccans showed a preference for Murcia (38.7%), Navarre (37%), La Rioja (26.8%), Extremadura (23.5%) and Castile-La Mancha (21.3%), while Romanians – Aragon (29.5%), Castile-La Mancha (26.2%) and La Rioja (20.9%). Italians were especially visible in the Canary Islands (22.5%) and the Balearic Islands (15.4%), in the Community of Madrid (12.2%) and in Catalonia (12.1%), whereas the British predominated in Andalusia (12%) and Murcia (11.1%).
Prices and records
Housing acquired by foreigners in Spain in the first half of the year cost an average of €2,417/m², 7.6% more than last year and the highest figure on record. This is driven by the average price paid by non-resident foreigners, which for the first time exceeded €3,100/m², up 8% year-on-year. At the same time, residents paid an average of €1,912/m² (+10.3%), still below the record level of 2008.
The most expensive homes were bought by citizens of the United States (€3,465/m²), Switzerland (€3,457/m²), Sweden (€3,421/m²), Norway (€3,292/m²) and Germany (€3,270/m²). Above-average prices were also paid by citizens of Poland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Ireland and the United Kingdom, while the lowest prices were paid by Moroccans (€747/m²), Romanians (€1,325/m²) and Ecuadorians (€1,328/m²).
Regions with the highest activity
The region with the largest number of housing purchase–sale transactions involving foreigners (both residents and non-residents) is the Valencian Community – over 20,000. Foreign residents concluded 9,515 transactions here (22% of the total), ahead of Catalonia (8,909; 20.6%), Andalusia (6,677; 15.4%) and the Community of Madrid (4,620; 10.7%). For non-residents, the figures were as follows: Valencian Community – 11,025 (39.6%), Andalusia – 6,733 (24.2%), Canary Islands – 2,666 (9.6%), Catalonia – 2,351 (8.4%), Murcia – 2,121 (7.6%).
Annual dynamics
As for the annual dynamics, the number of purchase–sale transactions increased in almost all autonomous communities. The leader was Asturias (30.8%), followed by Castile and León (25.9%), Galicia (14.3%), Castile-La Mancha (11.7%), Extremadura (10.6%), Aragon (10.4%) and La Rioja (9.9%). Meanwhile, Catalonia (7.1%), Andalusia (6%), Cantabria (5.5%), Murcia (3.1%), the Basque Country (2.4%) and Madrid (0.1%) showed more moderate growth. A decline in sales to foreigners in the first half of the year was recorded in four autonomous communities: the Canary and Balearic Islands (–7.7% and –6.8% respectively), Navarre (–3.7%) and the Valencian Community (–3.6%).
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