First-Time Buyer Statistics Ireland 2026
Annual drawdowns, average age, deposit trends, and Help to Buy usage — sourced from BPFI, Revenue, and CSO for 2012–2025.
Last updated: 31 December 2025·Data range: 2012–2025
Avg FTB age
34.2
years, 2025
Avg deposit saved
€52,000
approx. 7 years saving
Avg FTB mortgage
€282,000
2025 drawdown average
FTB share of all purchases
35.4%
of residential transactions
Market Activity
First-Time Buyer Drawdowns 2012–2025
Annual volume of first-time buyer mortgage drawdowns. The introduction of the Help to Buy scheme in 2017 accelerated new-build purchases and contributed to the sustained growth in drawdown volumes.
Source: Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) — Mortgage Drawdowns Quarterly Report
First-time buyer drawdowns have grown from 14,000 in 2012 to 28,400 in 2025, representing a 103% increase over the period despite affordability pressures.
Age Trends
Average Age of First-Time Buyers Over Time
The average age of an Irish first-time buyer has risen from 31.8 in 2012 to 34.2 in 2025, reflecting the longer savings runway required as property prices outpace wage growth.
Source: Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) — FTB Profile Data
Deposits
First-Time Buyer Deposit Profile
Central Bank rules require FTBs to hold a minimum 10% deposit. Most buyers exceed this threshold, with the average deposit now representing over 15% of the purchase price.
Avg deposit saved
€52,000
cash + HTB where applicable
Avg years to save
~7 years
at median household income
HTB usage rate
58.6%
of eligible FTBs used HTB
Avg HTB refund
€22,100
max €30,000
Source: BPFI Mortgage Drawdowns; CSO Earnings and Labour Costs — Annual wage used for LTI limit calculation
By County
First-Time Buyer Activity by County
FTB transactions, average purchase price, average mortgage, and average deposit percentage across all 26 counties. Click column headers to sort.
| County | FTB Transactions↓ | Avg Purchase Price | Avg Mortgage | Avg Deposit % | Province |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 8,200 | €480,000 | €392,000 | 18.3% | Leinster |
| Cork | 2,840 | €342,000 | €282,000 | 17.5% | Munster |
| Kildare | 1,920 | €368,000 | €302,000 | 17.9% | Leinster |
| Galway | 1,740 | €318,000 | €260,000 | 18.2% | Connacht |
| Meath | 1,680 | €352,000 | €290,000 | 17.6% | Leinster |
| Wicklow | 1,420 | €378,000 | €308,000 | 18.5% | Leinster |
| Limerick | 1,280 | €272,000 | €222,000 | 18.4% | Munster |
| Louth | 1,140 | €298,000 | €244,000 | 18.1% | Leinster |
| Westmeath | 980 | €248,000 | €202,000 | 18.5% | Leinster |
| Wexford | 920 | €258,000 | €210,000 | 18.6% | Leinster |
| Tipperary | 840 | €212,000 | €172,000 | 18.9% | Munster |
| Kerry | 780 | €228,000 | €185,000 | 18.9% | Munster |
| Clare | 720 | €232,000 | €188,000 | 19.0% | Munster |
| Kilkenny | 680 | €242,000 | €196,000 | 19.0% | Leinster |
| Waterford | 660 | €238,000 | €192,000 | 19.3% | Munster |
| Mayo | 560 | €195,000 | €158,000 | 19.0% | Connacht |
| Donegal | 520 | €188,000 | €152,000 | 19.1% | Ulster |
| Laois | 480 | €218,000 | €176,000 | 19.3% | Leinster |
| Offaly | 420 | €212,000 | €170,000 | 19.8% | Leinster |
| Cavan | 360 | €182,000 | €146,000 | 19.8% | Ulster |
| Roscommon | 280 | €172,000 | €138,000 | 19.8% | Connacht |
| Sligo | 260 | €178,000 | €142,000 | 20.2% | Connacht |
| Monaghan | 220 | €178,000 | €142,000 | 20.2% | Ulster |
| Longford | 180 | €162,000 | €128,000 | 21.0% | Leinster |
| Carlow | 160 | €230,000 | €184,000 | 20.0% | Leinster |
| Leitrim | 95 | €155,000 | €122,000 | 21.3% | Connacht |
Source: Property Price Register (PSRA); BPFI county-level drawdown data
Help to Buy
Help to Buy Scheme Statistics
The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive provides first-time buyers with a refund of income tax and DIRT paid over the previous four years when purchasing a new-build property.
Total HTB claims to date
72,400
since scheme launch (2017)
Average HTB refund
€22,100
vs. max €30,000
New builds using HTB
68.4%
of new-build FTB purchases
Maximum HTB amount
€30,000
10% of purchase price, capped
The Help to Buy scheme was introduced in January 2017 as part of Budget 2017, initially with a cap of €20,000. The ceiling was raised to €30,000 in the July 2020 Covid stimulus package and has remained at that level since. To qualify, buyers must purchase or self-build a new residential property valued at no more than €500,000, take out a mortgage of at least 70% of the purchase price, and not have previously owned a property. The refund is paid directly to the property developer on completion.
Methodology & Data Sources
Mortgage drawdown volumes and FTB age data are sourced from the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) quarterly Mortgage Drawdowns Report. Help to Buy statistics are published by Revenue Commissioners on an annual basis. Average wage data used for LTI limit calculations is sourced from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Earnings and Labour Costs survey. County-level transaction data is derived from the Property Price Register (PPR), published by the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA). All figures are subject to revision as source agencies update their datasets.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average age of a first-time buyer in Ireland?
The average age of a first-time buyer in Ireland is 34.2 years, up from 31.8 in 2012. Rising house prices and the time required to accumulate a deposit have pushed the average buying age steadily higher over the past decade.
How much deposit do first-time buyers need in Ireland?
First-time buyers in Ireland are required to have a minimum 10% deposit under Central Bank macroprudential rules. In practice, the average first-time buyer saves €52,000 — equivalent to roughly 15–18% of the purchase price — before drawing down a mortgage.
How many first-time buyers are there in Ireland each year?
There were 28,400 first-time buyer mortgage drawdowns in Ireland in 2025, based on BPFI data. First-time buyers account for approximately 35.4% of all residential property purchases nationally.
What is the Help to Buy scheme in Ireland?
The Help to Buy (HTB) scheme is a Revenue tax refund of up to €30,000 for first-time buyers purchasing a new-build home. The refund is calculated as 10% of the purchase price, up to the maximum. Approximately 58.6% of eligible first-time buyers used the scheme in 2025, and it features in 68.4% of new-build FTB purchases.
What is the average first-time buyer mortgage in Ireland?
The average first-time buyer mortgage in Ireland is €282,000, based on 2025 BPFI drawdown data. The Central Bank's loan-to-income (LTI) cap of 4× gross income limits most FTBs to a maximum of approximately €220,000 at the current average wage, though exemptions allow lenders to exceed this for a proportion of their book.
Is it harder to get on the property ladder in Ireland than the UK?
Yes. Ireland's house price-to-income ratio is among the highest in the EU. The average Dublin property costs approximately 9–10× the average annual salary, compared to 7–8× in London and 5–6× in other major UK cities. Combined with the 10% minimum deposit requirement and the LTI cap, Irish first-time buyers face some of the most challenging affordability conditions in Europe.