*Global housing markets weaken

Global house prices increased by only 1.8% in the year to March, the lowest annual rate of growth recorded since Q4 2009. The latest Knight Frank Global House Price Index shows that house prices in 25 of the 50 countries included in the index remained flat or saw negative growth in the first three months of 2011, compared to only 18 countries a year earlier.

Rank	Country	Region	Annual % change	Six-mhly % change	Quarterly % change	Latest if not Q1 2011
1	Hong Kong	Asia Pacific	24.2%	14.1%	9.3%
2	India	Asia Pacific	21.9%	14.1%	6.8%	Q4 2010
3	Taiwan	Asia Pacific	14.3%	6.9%	0.8%
4	Israel	Middle East	12.1%	5.3%	1.1%
5	Singapore	Asia Pacific	10.5%	3.5%	1.7%
6	France	Europe	8.7%	1.7%	0.3%
7	Poland	Europe	8.5%	0.2%	-1.4%
8	China*	Asia Pacific	8.4%	6.8%	0.4%
9	Norway	Europe	8.2%	4.9%	5.0%
10	Malaysia	Asia Pacific	6.4%	1.4%	-0.8%
11	Belgium	Europe	5.9%	5.6%	3.0%	Q4 2010
12	Switzerland	Europe	5.1%	3.3%	1.3%
13	Latvia	Europe	5.1%	-2.1%	-1.3%
14	Indonesia	Asia Pacific	4.5%	2.9%	2.2%
15	Slovenia	Europe	4.3%	6.1%	4.5%
16	Denmark	Europe	4.1%	-1.1%	-0.2%	Q4 2010
17	Canada	North America	4.1%	0.7%	1.0%
18	Finland	Europe	3.9%	1.3%	1.0%
19	Turkey	Europe	3.5%	2.8%	1.8%
20	Iceland	Europe	3.4%	2.1%	0.7%
21	Colombia	South America	3.3%	5.4%	1.0%	Q4 2010
22	Jersey	Europe	2.9%	-1.6%	-2.5%
23	Luxembourg	Europe	2.6%	0.1%	0.0%	Q4 2010
24	Austria	Europe	2.4%	2.9%	2.2%
25	Estonia	Europe	2.1%	2.7%	-0.4%
26	Sweden	Europe	2.1%	-0.7%	-1.1%
27	Germany	Europe	1.3%	-0.1%	-0.3%
28	Australia	Asia Pacific	-0.2%	-0.9%	-1.7%
29	United Kingdom	Europe	-0.2%	-0.5%	1.0%
30	South Africa	Africa	-1.3%	1.9%	1.5%
31	Italy	Europe	-1.4%	-0.6%	-0.3%	Q4 2010
32	Portugal	Europe	-1.8%	1.0%	1.8%
33	New Zealand	Asia Pacific	-1.8%	0.6%	0.3%
34	Malta	Europe	-2.0%	-2.5%	-4.1%	Q4 2010
35	Slovak Republic	Europe	-2.5%	-3.1%	-0.5%
36	Netherlands	Europe	-2.6%	-2.2%	-1.7%
37	Hungary	Europe	-2.7%	-4.5%	-1.9%	Q4 2010
38	Czech Republic	Europe	-3.5%	-2.6%	-1.8%
39	Japan	Asia Pacific	-3.6%	-1.6%	-0.8%	Q3 2010
40	Croatia	Europe	-3.8%	-1.0%	-0.1%	Q4 2010
41	Lithuania	Europe	-4.0%	-0.2%	3.9%	Q4 2010
42	Spain	Europe	-4.6%	-2.8%	-2.5%
43	United States	North America	-4.9%	-3.7%	-1.9%
44	Bulgaria	Europe	-5.6%	-3.8%	-2.3%
45	Greece	Europe	-5.7%	-0.4%	0.3%
46	Ukraine	Europe	-7.5%	-1.6%	0.0%	Q3 2010
47	Dubai, UAE	Middle East	-8.2%	2.1%	0.6%
48	Ireland	Europe	-11.9%	-6.9%	-4.5%
49	Russia	Europe	-13.9%	-13.6%	-13.7%
50	Cyprus**	Europe	NA	-4.4%	-2.4%	Q4 2010