Statistics Office publishes incorrect housing price data

The Statistics Office released housing price index data for the first quarter of 2026 on Friday, which turned out to be incorrect. The office did not notify the public itself, but confirmed to journalists that the data would be corrected. This is not the first time the office has released inaccurate data.

The Statistics Office released a press release on Friday, 19 June 2026, stating that Estonia's housing price index rose 11.9% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, and 9.2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025. It later emerged that the published data were incorrect and the office is working to correct them.

What the press release contained

According to the press release published that morning, apartment prices rose 14.9% year-on-year in the first quarter, while house prices rose 5.9%. The number of housing transactions increased outside Tallinn, but decreased slightly in Tallinn.

The financial value of transactions was larger in the first quarter of 2026 than in the first quarter of 2025, but smaller than in the previous quarter. The financial value of house purchases remained at the same level year-on-year. The number of secondary market apartment purchases decreased slightly, while the number of new construction purchases increased slightly. The number of apartment purchases increased both in the secondary market and in new constructions.

The office did not notify the public itself

The Statistics Office did not notify the public of the error itself. In response to journalists' enquiries, the office's press representative Annaliisa Köss confirmed that the data would be corrected and new, accurate data would be published shortly.

The housing price index shows changes in the price per square metre in housing transactions by households and is calculated on the basis of both apartments and houses.

Repeated errors

This is not the first time the Statistics Office has published inaccurate data. In August 2025, incorrect statistics were released on Estonia's wage levels for the second quarter. Repeated errors raise questions about the office's data quality control procedures.