BRATISLAVA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Residential property prices in Slovakia rose 2.6 percent quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2026, with the average price reaching 3,120 euros (3,475.5 U.S. dollars) per square meter, according to data released Sunday by the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS).
The average price increased by 78 euros (86.9 dollars) per square meter from the previous quarter, while the year-on-year growth rate accelerated slightly to 10.9 percent, the NBS said.
The continued rise in property prices reflects strong market demand, despite higher borrowing costs. Buyers have apparently brought forward their home purchases amid expectations of further increases in mortgage interest rates, said Roman Vrbovsky, a macroeconomic analyst at the NBS.
Demand has been concentrated mainly on smaller and older properties, he noted.
Prices of one-room and two-room apartments recorded the largest quarterly increases, while those of the largest apartments fell by 7 percent. The decline, however, followed a similarly sharp increase in the previous quarter and was seen as a market correction, Vrbovsky said.
Meanwhile, the interest rate on newly issued mortgages edged up from 3.8 percent in June to 3.9 percent in September. Net growth in new housing loans remained at a high level, according to the NBS.
At the regional level, property prices declined by 0.3 percent in the Kosice region, while all other regions registered increases.
Bratislava and its surrounding areas continued to make the largest contribution to overall property price growth nationwide. The Banska Bystrica region also emerged as a stronger contributor during the summer, Vrbovsky said.
