ECONOMY

China’s Housing Uptick Masks Fragile Recovery

Published: Apr. 7, 2026 6:33 p.m. GMT+8

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China’s housing market showed a seasonal uptick in March, driven by stronger existing home sales, but analysts say the recovery remains uneven and that the sector is still in a bottoming phase.

New home sales by floor space in 50 major cities more than doubled from February but were still down 27% from a year earlier, according to China Real Estate Information Corp.

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China's March housing sales upticked: new homes in 50 cities doubled MoM but down 27% YoY; existing in 20 cities surged MoM and up 6% YoY.
Existing home prices in 100 cities fell slightly MoM (3rd month easing), down YoY; Shanghai prices rose MoM first since mid-2023, transactions at 5-yr high.
Developers face widened losses; analysts cite pent-up demand, uneven recovery, ongoing economic drag without policy support.

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China Real Estate Information Corp.: China Real Estate Information Corp. reported that new home sales by floor space in 50 major cities more than doubled from February but fell 27% year-on-year.

AI generated, for reference only