According to Executive Digest, in 2023, the impact of housing prices on the disposable income of Portuguese families showed the largest increase among all Member States, a problem that does not seem to have a solution in the short term.

Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), analysed by Público, show that, in 2023, the index that relates house sales prices to gross disposable income per capita in Portugal reached 150.9, indicating an increase of almost 51% since 2015.

This figure is the highest among European Union countries, excluding Cyprus and Malta, for which no data is available. In comparison, the index in the eurozone stood at 109, representing an increase of 9% over the same period.

The situation is not new, but the recent worsening has worried European authorities. The European Commission, in its annual assessment of Member States, highlighted the shortage of affordable housing in Portugal as a “growing concern”.

Despite the measures of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and other European funds, the supply of housing continues to be insufficient, aggravated by rising prices and credit, as well as the growing demand for properties for local accommodation.