EU Rent Price Index by Country Over Time

Key Takeaways

• EU-wide rents rose by roughly one-quarter between 2010 and 2024. House prices rose by about half over the same period.
• Lithuania (34.93), Estonia (36.61), and Hungary (44.91) recorded the lowest 2011 HICP index values in the EU-27. Rent prices in all three doubled or nearly tripled between 2011 and 2025.
• Western European countries, including France (86.84), Spain (89.07), and Germany (80.15), recorded 2011 index values above the EU-27 average of 78.27. Their rent price increase to 2025 was more moderate as a result.
• About half of EU countries provide regulated social and affordable housing. Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands maintain social housing stocks covering around 20% of total housing. These frameworks slowed nominal rent increases even as demand grew.
• Greece recorded a 2011 HICP index of 109.63. It is the only EU country whose rent price index decreased. The decline followed the 2010 sovereign debt crisis, which caused Greeks to lose more than 40% of their disposable income between 2009 and 2014. Greek rents are now rising again.

Rent Index in EU Countries

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One in ten Europeans now spends 40% or more of their disposable income on housing.

Between 2010 and 2024, average rents across the EU rose by roughly one-quarter. House prices rose by about half over the same period.

The Sharpest Rent Index Increases Are in Eastern Europe

Rent prices in many Eastern European countries moved more sharply between 2011 and 2025 than in the rest of the EU.

• Lithuania: 34.93
• Estonia: 36.61
• Hungary: 44.91

These are the three lowest values in the EU-27 dataset. Because the 2025 index is anchored at 100, these figures mean rent prices in Lithuania, Estonia, and Hungary approximately doubled or nearly tripled between 2011 and 2025. Ireland (45.97) and Poland (53.42) follow closely.

Two factors explain the scale of these increases. The first is demand. For decades, people have migrated to urban centres to follow jobs and new industries. In cities like Budapest, Tallinn, and Vilnius, that migration accelerated as economies grew and capital cities became hubs for skilled workers and, in coastal and historic centres, international tourism.

The second is supply. Residential construction across the EU dropped sharply after the 2008 global financial crisis. It never fully recovered. In Eastern Europe, where housing stock was already thinner relative to demand, that gap widened fastest.

Eastern European rental markets also tend to have lighter regulatory frameworks than their Western counterparts. Where rent-control rules or strong tenant protections exist, they slow nominal increases even when demand is strong. In markets without those guardrails, prices respond more directly to demand pressure.

Western Europe Faced More Moderate Rent Index Increases

Many Western European countries recorded 2011 rent index values already close to the EU-27 average of 78.27 or above it:

• France: 86.84
• Spain: 89.07
• Germany: 80.15
• Italy: 85.90

These countries were already closer to their 2025 rent price levels in 2011. The percentage increase to reach 100 was smaller as a result.

Regulation is part of the explanation. About half of EU countries provide some form of regulated social and affordable housing. The largest programmes are in Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, where social housing makes up around 20% of the total housing stock. These frameworks tend to slow nominal rent increases even when demand is strong. Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe provide the least social housing. This helps explain why rent prices in those markets moved more freely.

This does not mean renting in Western Europe is affordable. It means prices were already relatively high in 2011, so the measured increase to 2025 appears smaller in percentage terms.

Greece Is the Only EU Country Where the Rent Index Fell

Greece recorded a 2011 index of 109.63. This is the only value in the EU-27 dataset above 100. It means Greek rents were almost 10% higher in 2011 than they are today.

The reason is the 2010 sovereign debt crisis. From 2009 to 2014, Greeks lost more than 40% of their disposable income. Household incomes collapsed. Rental demand fell. Rents followed. Construction froze. The housing market contracted rather than grew.

Greek rents have since recovered and are rising sharply again. Greeks now spend a higher share of income on housing than any other EU nation.

The EU-wide rent index average conceals two very different experiences. In Eastern Europe, prices roughly doubled or more from a low base. In Western Europe, prices rose gradually from a high point. Greece moved in the opposite direction entirely. It is now catching up fast.

Across the EU, housing demand has outstripped supply. Incomes have also not kept up with prices. The numbers look different by country. The pressure does not.