Singapore private home prices growth narrows to 0.3% as Middle East tensions prompt market caution

```htmlGolden Ten Data reported on April 1 that although demand for private residences in Singapore remains strong, the rate of price increases is expected to slow in the first quarter of this year. According to preliminary estimates released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on Wednesday, the private residential property price index rose by 0.3% in the first three months of 2026, lower than the 0.6% increase in the fourth quarter of last year. Driven by local investors, upgraders, and a growing wealthy immigrant population, Singapore's private residential market continues to be supported by surging demand, even as it remains one of the cities with the highest housing prices in the world. In recent years, authorities have implemented a series of measures to curb the persistent rise in property prices, including imposing a stamp duty of up to 60% on foreign buyers. Since most locals live in subsidized government HDB flats, prices for these units are usually influenced by fluctuations in the private market. Another estimate released on Wednesday showed that resale prices of public housing (HDB flats) may have decreased by 0.1% in the first quarter, marking the first decline in nearly seven years.```