China's home price declines continue to ease in June

BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The overall year-on-year decline in home prices across major Chinese cities continued to narrow in June, official data showed Wednesday, adding to signs of a gradual stabilization in the property market.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that new home prices in China's four first-tier cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, fell 1.3 percent from a year earlier in June, with the decline narrowing by 0.4 percentage points from May. Prices of existing homes in the four cities dropped 4.9 percent, with the pace of decline easing by 0.9 percentage points.

Among the 31 second-tier cities and 35 third-tier cities tracked by the bureau, year-on-year declines in both new and existing home prices also narrowed from the previous month, except for new homes in third-tier cities, where the rate of decline remained unchanged.

On a monthly basis, home prices in first-tier cities edged up in June, while those in second and third-tier cities either declined or were unchanged, according to the data.

Notably, the number of cities reporting month-on-month increases in new home prices rose to 20 in June, up from 16 in May and marking the highest level since May 2025.

The latest figures add to emerging positive signs in China's property market this year.

In addition to easing home price declines, the inventory of unsold new homes nationwide fell for a fourth consecutive month at the end of June. In the first half of the year, transactions in the existing-home market remained active, with accelerating sales growth. An official survey also showed improving expectations among real estate professionals.

These encouraging changes have been supported by continued policy adjustments across the country. Local governments have relaxed home purchase restrictions, expanded the supply of affordable housing, and advanced urban renewal projects to help stabilize the sector.

"The balance between housing supply and demand has continued to improve, and market expectations have picked up," Mao Shengyong, the deputy head of the NBS, told a media conference on Wednesday, adding that China will continue to adopt city-specific policies and promote the stable and healthy development of the property market.