MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The purchase and sale of free housing by foreigners fell 7.5% year-on-year in the first half of the year, to 67,983 transactions, thus putting an end to four semesters of consecutive promotions, according to data from the General Council of Notaries published this Wednesday.

However, operations carried out by foreigners represented 21.4% of total sales and purchases nationwide, the highest figure since records began.

Resident foreigners carried out 56.8% of the purchases and sales in the first half of the year, with a year-on-year decrease of 3.4%, while 43.2% of the operations were carried out by non-residents, with a decrease of 12, 4%.

The average price per square meter of transactions carried out by foreign buyers in the first half of 2023, referring to free housing, stood at 2,095 euros per square meter, which represents an increase in prices of 1.3% compared to the same period of 2022.

Non-resident foreigners once again paid higher amounts for their homes (2,598 euros per square meter) than residents (1,676 euros per square meter) and nationals (1,574 euros per square meter).

The average price paid by non-resident foreigners increased by 2.8% year-on-year and that of residents by 2.9%, with the national buyer being below both, with an increase in the average price paid of 0.7% in the year. first half of this year.

By nationality, the group of foreigners that acquired the most homes was British nationals, with 9.6% of the total transactions (6,498), followed by Germans (8.1%) and Moroccans (7.3%).