Slovakia's house prices up 4.53% y-o-y in Q1 2019

House prices in Slovakia rose by a robust 4.53% during the year to Q1 2019, from y-o-y rises of 5.27% in Q4 2018, 1.23% in Q3 2018, 1.68% in Q2 2018 and 2.41% in Q1 2018. During the latest quarter, residential property prices were up 0.79% in Q1 2019.

Demand remains strong

Property demand continues to rise both from local homebuyers and foreign investors, according to local property experts. 

In March 2019, the total outstanding amount of housing loans rose by 10.9% to €28.82 billion (US$32.13 billion) from a year earlier, according to the European Central Bank. Despite this, Slovakia still has one of the lowest mortgage-debt-to-GDP ratios in the EU, at about 31% of GDP in 2018, far lower than EU 28’s ratio of about 50%.

Rents, rental yields; moderate yields at 4.53% 

Bratislava apartment costs are low at around €2,911 per sq. m. 

Slovak Rep.: typical city centre apartment buying price, monthly rent (120 sq. m)
	Buying price	Rate per month	Yield
Bratislava	€ 349,320	€ 1,320	4.53%

Recent news: Robust economic growth. In Q1 2019, the Slovak economy grew by 3.7% from a year earlier, a slight improvement from the previous quarter’s 3.6% growth, according to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. The economy is projected to expand by 3.8% this year, from annual growth of 4.1% in 2018 and 3.2% in 2017, according to the European Commission.