Annual Irish home price inflation was static between April and May, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said today, as prices continued to rise at their slowest pace since February 2024, adding to evidence of a tentative cooling off in some parts of the market.
However, prices outside of Dublin continued to rise at an accelerated rate amid an ongoing shortage of second-hand properties for sale.
Residential property prices were 6.2 per cent higher nationally in May compared to the same month last year, unchanged from the 6.2 per cent annual inflation rate recorded in April.
In Dublin, house prices continued to rise but at a slower annual pace in May of 4.7 per cent, down from 5.5 per cent in April, the CSO said.
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On an annual basis, prices outside the capital city advanced by 7.3 per cent in May, up from a rate of 6.8 per cent in April, however.
The latest CSO figures echo recent industry reports indicating a growing divergence between urban and rural market conditions.
In its latest housing report, property website Daft.ie said there is mounting evidence of a “two-speed” housing market, with prices in cities stable or falling, while prices in rural Ireland continue to accelerate at a fast pace.
Outside of Dublin and the other cities, prices are being supported by supply levels that remain “acutely tight”, with new-build activity “not yet enough to relieve the pressure”, despite being on an upward trajectory, said Trinity College Dublin economist Dr Ronan Lyons in the report last month.
The second-hand market remains “stuck”, Lyons said, and “new-builds alone cannot restore balance to the sales market”.
Commenting on Tuesday’s CSO figures, Rachel McGovern, deputy chief executive of Brokers Ireland, said buyer affordability remains stretched, despite the softening of home price inflation in recent months.
While home commencement volumes appear to be on an upward trajectory, it is still “not remotely sufficient to meet ongoing and pent-up demand” for housing.
She said it looks like home completions for this year could be of the order of about 40,000 units. “While going in the right direction, this is really only a marginal increase on the 36,284 delivered last year.”
McGovern said: “An added worry is, what will happen to interest rates, with geopolitical volatility at an all-time high. Just as we thought stability might land, with a one-and-done ECB rate increase in June, instability has erupted once more, threatening that hope.”
Nationally, house prices are now 25.9 per cent above their highest level at the peak of the property boom in April 2007, the CSO said. Dublin residential property prices are 10.1 per cent higher than their February 2007 peak, while residential property prices in the rest of the country are 29.2 per cent higher than their May 2007 peak.
Overall, some 3,861 residential property purchases were registered with the Revenue Commissioners last month, up 1 per cent on the same month last year, according to the figures.
The total value of transactions filed in May 2026 was €1.71 billion, said Samantha Walsh, statistician in the CSO’s prices division. This was made up of 2,781 existing dwellings with a value of €1.19 billion, and 1,080 new dwellings with a value of €518 million.
