Sales of property in France to foreign nationals increased by 21% last year, with Brits accounting for 11% of all such sales.

In total, there were 51,200 sales to foreign nationals in 2010, up from 42,000 in 2009.

The average sale value of the transactions was €238K, compared to €224K in the previous year.

The figures come from the national database of property sales compiled each year by the French notaires.

Out of the total of 51,200 sales, 33,100 were of properties in the regions, while 18,077 were properties in the capital Paris. Both showed similar rises over the previous year.

The largest group of foreign buyers were the Portuguese, who accounted for 13% of all foreign sales. The sizeable presence of Portuguese buyers is due to the high number of immigrants from Portugal living in France.

In second place were French expatriate buyers with 12% of sales.

British buyers consolidated their position in third place, with 11% of the sales, the same as 2009, but down from 14% in 2008.

Geographic Preferences

The most popular region for foreign buyers was the Ile de France, which accounted for 35% of all foreign sales.

It was followed by Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) on 13% and Rhone Alpes on 11%. The remaining regions each accounted for a small percentage of the remaining sales.

However, British buyers were the largest group of foreign national buyers in Aquitaine accounting for 20% of all foreign sales. They were also strongly present in many other regions of France.

In the Ile de France the main buyers were the Portuguese who accounted for nearly 20% of all foreign sales, while in PACA it was the Italians who piled in.

British buyers were the third largest group of foreign buyers in PACA with 12% of all foreign sales.

The following image shows the regional split by nationality.

Number of transactions