For this calculation, the number of bank valuations considered was around 30,000, 14.8 percent more than in the same period of 2020, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

For the year 2021 as a whole, the median value of a bank appraisal (carried out as part of credit applications to buy a home) stood at 1,231 euros/m2, up 9 percent on 2020.

As for December, according to INE, the largest increase in the median value of the bank assessment compared to November was recorded in the autonomous region of the Azores (2.6 percent to 977 euros), with the autonomous region of Madeira showing the largest decrease (-1.2 percent to 1,271 euros).

In turn, compared to the same month of 2020, the largest increase was in the Algarve (12.9 percent to €1,731) and the smallest in the Azores (3.4 percent to €977).

Also in December, the median bank appraisal value of flats was 1,419 euros/m2, up 12.1 percent on December 2020 and 1.3 percent compared to the previous month.

The highest value of flats was observed in the Algarve (1,720 euros/m2) and the lowest in the Alentejo (911 euros/m2).

The Algarve was also the region where the median value of flats had the most significant year-on-year increase (12.8 percent), while the Alentejo registered the smallest increase (5.4 percent).

Compared to the previous month, the Azores registered the highest increase (5.9 percent) and the only decrease was in Madeira (-0.8 percent).

As far as dwellings are concerned, the median value of the bank appraisal was 1,030 €/sq.m. in December, up 7.6 percent on the same month last year and down 0.1 percent year-on-year.

The highest values were observed in the Algarve (1,753 euros/m2) and in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (1,722 euros/m2), with the Alentejo registering the lowest value (829 euros/m2).

The Algarve showed the highest year-on-year growth (13.5 percent) and the lowest occurred in the Azores (2.5 percent).

Compared to the previous month, Lisbon had the sharpest increase (1.7 percent) and the Alentejo the sharpest fall (-1.3 percent).

According to the Median Bank Valuation Index, in December 2021, the Algarve, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Alentejo Litoral had valuation values above the country's median (35 percent, 32 percent and 3 percent, respectively).

The Beiras and Serra da Estrela region was the region with the lowest value in relation to the country's median (-48 percent).