Prices for houses rose at the fastest rate in February since September 2001, the national statistics office CBS and land registry office have reported.

The Dutch housing market plunged into a prolonged slump after the 2008 financial crisis and recovery started only in 2013.  Houses are now just as expensive as they were on the eve of the crisis in August 2008, the CBS said.

Present-day prices are now about 25% higher than the all-time low in the market 4.5 years ago.

The price increases come at a time when house sales are in decline. Only 32,129 houses changed hands in the first two months of this year, a 6% decrease over the 2016 period.