Spain's housing sales increase by 15.5 pct in Feb.

Spanish housing sales increased by 15.5 percent in February compared with the same month of last year, according to data published on Thursday by Spain's Statistical Office (INE).

The INE reported that a total of 29,714 operations were registered in the second month of 2015, one of the highest figures of the last months.

So far, housing sales have been rising for six consecutive months on a year-on-year basis, especially thanks to sales of second-hand houses.

Sales of second-hand houses rose by 50.4 percent in February when compared with a year earlier to a total of 21,613 purchases, while sales of new houses fell by 28.6 percent to 8,101 purchases in February.

Sales of non-subsidized houses increased by 13.6 percent in February in comparison with a year earlier to 26,451 purchases representing 89 percent of the total purchases made in February, while those of subsidized houses increased by 33.5 percent to 3,263 purchases.

The INE also said that on a month-on-month basis housing sales fell by 11.1 percent, with purchases of non-subsidized houses representing 89 percent of the total. Endit