Housing sales in Tarragona province rose by 3.3% in March, reaching 1,565 operations. This increase contrasts sharply with a 3.5% decline across Catalonia, according to provisional data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The positive figures for Tarragona, encompassing Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l'Ebre, mark the highest number of March operations since 2008.
Growth in Tarragona was primarily driven by new build properties, which saw a 23.4% increase in sales. This local surge stands against a broader Catalan trend where overall housing transactions fell to 10,005 in March, down from 10,363 in the same month last year.
Catalonia's March figures ended a six-month streak of year-on-year increases, with the last decline recorded in August 2025 at 0.6%. Used property sales across Catalonia saw the most significant drop, falling by 3.8% to 8,034 transactions. This decline affected all demarcations except Girona.
New Build Sales Decline Across Catalonia
New build housing sales also decreased across Catalonia, falling by around 2%. However, protected housing sales stood out, with 532 units changing hands. This figure represents a 10.4% increase from last year and is the highest level since 2023.
Despite the year-on-year fall, the 10,005 total transactions for Catalonia in March remain historically high. It is only the third time since statistical records began in 2007 that the 10,000-operation threshold has been surpassed in March.
Most transactions involved used homes, accounting for eight out of ten sales. Second-hand sales, totalling 8,034, decreased by 3.8% annually and 2.17% compared to February. New homes, numbering 1,971, also saw a total decrease, with a 1.99% fall compared to March 2025 and a 9.46% drop from February.
Free Market Housing Dominates
The vast majority of homes sold in March were free market properties, a typical trend, with 9,473 units. This is the second-highest value since 2008. Over the last twelve months, free market property sales fell by 4.13%.
Protected flats, at 532 units, represent only 5% of total operations. However, this is the only segment to experience year-on-year growth, increasing by 10.37% compared to March 2025. In contrast, compared to February, this figure fell by 13.8%.
Girona recorded an 18-year high in March, with 1,313 properties sold, a 12% increase. This growth was driven by second-hand flats, which rose by 14%. In Barcelona, a 2% increase in new homes could not offset a 6% fall in used properties. Overall, Barcelona saw 6,567 operations, a 4.6% decrease.
Lleida experienced an even sharper reduction in sales compared to last year, with a 29.1% fall to 560 transactions. New flat sales in Lleida saw a significant drop of 55.8%. Lleida is the only demarcation to see a fall in new build flat sales, pulling down the Catalan average.
Across Spain, housing sales also decreased by 2.2% compared to March 2025, totalling 61,295 transactions. The Catalan figure is more than one percentage point below the Spanish average. The largest percentage falls were in Cantabria, down 15.4%, and the Basque Country, down 11.6%. Castilla-La Mancha, however, recorded the highest growth at 11.5%.
