House prices

The House Price Index (HPI) measures the evolution of market prices of all residential properties that are purchased by households (flats, detached houses, terraced houses, etc.), both new and existing, independently if bought for own-occupancy or as an investment.

In the fourth quarter of 2015:

• the House Price Index (see Italian IPAB) decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous quarter and by 0.9% in comparison to the same quarter of the previous year;
• prices of new dwellings decreased by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter and by 0.5% with respect to the fourth quarter of 2014; prices of existing dwellings declined by 0.1% compared to the previous quarter and by 1.0% with respect to the same quarter of the previous year;
• the average annual rate for 2015 was -2.4% (up from -4.4% in 2014). It was due to the decrease both of prices of new dwellings (-1.3%; in 2014 it was -2.2%) and of prices of existing dwellings (-2.8%, from -5.2% observed in 2014).

Date of next release: 4 July 2016