Belgian House Prices Rise Again Across All Three Regions

House and apartment prices in Belgium rose again in the first half of 2026, with increases recorded across every region and every housing type, according to official figures published Tuesday by the national statistics office. The renewed acceleration adds further pressure on prospective buyers already grappling with some of Europe’s least affordable housing.

Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, reported that the median price for an attached or semi-detached house reached EUR 285,000 in the first semester, up 1.8% year-on-year. Detached houses rose 4.5% to EUR 402,400, while apartments climbed 3.2% to EUR 257,000. The figures are based on actual notarial sales deeds registered by the Federal Public Service Finance, meaning they reflect realised transaction prices rather than asking prices.

A Nationwide Trend

As Het Laatste Nieuws noted, the increases span all of Belgium — both for closed or semi-detached houses, open-plan houses, and apartments. Brussels remains the most expensive region, while Wallonia is the cheapest.

In the Brussels-Capital Region, semi-detached houses cost a median of EUR 550,000, a 10% jump from a year earlier. Detached houses rose 26.2% to EUR 1,230,000 — a figure analysts attribute to the segment’s small transaction volume rather than a broad-market signal. Apartments in the capital cost EUR 275,000, up 3.8%.

The Flemish Region sat in the middle, with semi-detached houses at EUR 325,000 (+3.2%), detached houses at EUR 449,000 (+5.6%), and apartments at EUR 268,000 (+5.1%). The Walloon Region was the most affordable: semi-detached houses held steady at EUR 195,000, detached houses rose 1.8% to EUR 331,000, and apartments increased 2.6% to EUR 195,000.

Local Extremes

The gap between Belgium’s priciest and cheapest municipalities is stark. Sint-Martens-Latem in East Flanders topped the list with a median house price of EUR 863,333, while Hastière in Namur province offered the cheapest homes at EUR 110,000.

For apartments, the coastal municipality of Knokke-Heist recorded the highest median at EUR 615,000, while Châtelet in Hainaut was the cheapest at EUR 122,500. In Brussels, Ixelles commanded the highest house prices (EUR 815,000) and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean the lowest (EUR 318,000).

At the provincial level, Flemish Brabant was the most expensive in Flanders for semi-detached houses (EUR 378,500) and apartments (EUR 295,000). Walloon Brabant led the Walloon Region across all categories, with detached houses reaching EUR 510,000.

Underlying Pressure

The 2026 figures build on an already elevated base. In the first half of 2025, semi-detached houses nationally had risen 7.7%, and Walloon semi-detached houses had surged 11.4% before flattening this year. Against that backdrop, even modest 2026 gains represent meaningful additional cost.

Several forces are converging on the market. HLN reported that poorly insulated homes — those with EPC labels D, E, or F — are now among the fastest-appreciating properties, a reversal of the recent pattern in which energy-efficient homes led gains. Stefan Demeijer, CEO of real estate platform Immoscoop, attributed the shift to affordability.

“Homes with an A, B, or C label are more expensive,” Demeijer said. “If people can no longer afford them, they start looking at another segment. And where demand rises, so does the price.”

He warned that buying such properties carries hidden risks. Under Flemish rules, homes with poor energy scores must be renovated to at least EPC label D within six years of purchase — a costly obligation. “If you can’t afford an energy-efficient home today, can you afford to thoroughly renovate a ‘bad’ one?” he asked.

Demeijer described a “perfect storm” forming: growing demand for smaller homes amid demographic shifts, persistent demand for quality energy-efficient housing, and a severe shortage of social housing. “Demand is greater than supply,” he said. “The result is that the price rises. But people already can’t afford it today.”

Construction costs are adding to the pressure. Belgian building firms, represented by federation Embuild, warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict is driving up material prices, with more than seven in ten construction and installation companies expecting further increases by year-end. Plastic prices rose over 20% in a year, while bricks (+11%), steel (+13.6%), and sand and gravel (+13.2%) also climbed. Embuild CEO Niko Demeester said firms work with small margins and cannot fully absorb such sustained price increases on their own.

What to Watch

Whether the modest national growth of 1.8% to 4.5% signals a genuine cooling or simply the effect of a high base remains an open question. Stricter mortgage conditions and rising interest rates, noted in the market since spring 2026, could dampen price growth in the second half of the year — though the Federation of Belgian Notaries recorded falling sales volumes alongside rising asking prices in the second quarter, a sign that buyers are bracing rather than retreating.

One telling gauge of public sentiment came from a reader responding to the HLN report: “Name me one thing that hasn’t gotten more expensive.” With housing, energy, transport, and childcare costs all climbing, the answer, for many Belgian households, is proving hard to find.