China’s major cities continue to lead the world in terms of housing price growth, while Chinese investors have emerged as key drivers behind price inflation in some of the world’s most overheated property markets.
The Hurun Global House Price Index and the Hurun China HNWI Global Property ROI report for the first half of 2017 indicate that Chinese cities account for six of the world’s top ten cities in terms of housing price growth during the year-long period from June 2016 – June 2017, as well as 21 out of the top 50.
| No. | City | Housing price growth from June 2016 to June 2017 | Country |
| 1 | Toronto | 26.10% | Canada |
| 2 | Reykjavik | 23.00% | Iceland |
| 3 | Wuxi | 22.90% | China |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 20.80% | China |
| 5 | Zhengzhou | 20.20% | China |
| 6 | Hamilton | 19.70% | Canada |
| 7 | Changsha | 18.50% | China |
| 8 | Guangzhou | 17.90% | China |
| 9 | Waterford | 16.40% | Ireland |
| 10 | Shijiazhuang | 16.10% | China |
Wuxi was the Chinese city which saw the most rapid growth in housing prices during the period, with a rise of 22.9%, followed by Hong Kong and the Henan province capital Zhengzhou, with increases of 20.80% and 20.20% respectively.
Out of the 50 entrants on Hurun’s list of world cities that posted the largest home price gains, 42 saw increases of at least 10% across the year long period, including all 21 Chinese cities on the list.
Chinese investors likely account for the surge in home prices in eight of the top ten cities on the list, however, given the the enthusiasm with which they’ve taken to the property markets of first-place holder Toronto, which has seen a 26% increase in housing prices, and Hamilton, another Canadian city, which saw an increase of 19.70%.
Data from Juwai.com indicates that Toronto is the second most popular real estate investment destination for cash-flush Chinese, while Hamilton’s property market, also situation in the Canadian province of Ontario, is likely receiving some of the spillover investment.
Juwai analysts expect Chinese nationals to invest over USD$1 billion in the global property market over the upcoming decade.
Other countries heavily represented on Hurun’s list of the world’s top 50 cities in terms of housing price growth include the United States, which came second after China with seven cities;Germany, with six cities, Canada with a total of four cities, and Australia, with three cities.
