House prices rose 4.6% in June compared with June 2015, the highest rise in almost nine years, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

House prices have been rising steadily for the past three years after collapsing during the economic crisis. They have now reached their January 2005 level but are still almost 10% below their August 2008 maximum, the CBS said.

In Amsterdam, however, house prices have rocketed and are now 7% up on their pre-crisis peak. Over the past three months, house prices in Amsterdam have risen almost 15%.

In Utrecht, by contrast, house prices have risen 10% and in The Hague 8%.

The number of homes changing hands in the first half of this year is also up almost 25% on the same period in 2015, the CBS said.