{"id":331783,"date":"2026-09-24T14:09:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/real-estate-mauritius.mu\/?p=331783"},"modified":"2026-09-24T14:13:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:13:52","slug":"who-buys-property-in-mauritius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/real-estate-mauritius.mu\/en\/who-buys-property-in-mauritius\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Buys Property in Mauritius? Foreign Buyer Nationality, Age and Budget (EDB Data)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between 2005 and 2023, 5,396 residential units were sold in Mauritius under the IRS, RES, PDS, Smart City and G+2 schemes \u2014 the frameworks that give foreigners access to property ownership \u2014 for a combined value of Rs 156.6 billion, according to the EDB Insights<\/em> report published by the Economic Development Board in June 2024. It’s the only document that cross-references nationality, age and budget across nearly two decades, and it paints a picture quite different from the retired European sun-seeker stereotype.<\/p>\n

Which nationalities are buying?<\/h2>\n

76 different nationalities have invested in Mauritian residential property since 2005, 42 of them in 2023 alone. The top 10 nationalities account for 90% of all buyers, with French and South African<\/a> buyers forming the two largest groups. Mauritian buyers, for their part, make up 9% of all transactions recorded under these schemes.<\/p>\n

Broken down by continent, the split of buyers is clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Buyers by continent, 2005-2023<\/caption>\n
Continent<\/th>\nShare of buyers<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Europe<\/td>\n59%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Africa<\/td>\n35%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Asia<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
North America<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middle East<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oceania<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

On the G+2 apartment segment alone \u2014 the most accessible entry point for a foreign buyer, with prices starting well below IRS or RES villas \u2014 French and South African buyers together make up 73% of sales (51% and 22% respectively), followed by other European nationalities at 15%.<\/p>\n

How old are the buyers?<\/h2>\n

61% of buyers are over 50, including 6 percentage points aged over 80 \u2014 a share that has kept climbing since 2010, the year the over-50 segment first crossed 60% and never dropped back below it. Buyers under 50 remain a minority, at 39%.<\/p>\n

This profile varies sharply by nationality: among Swiss, French and South African buyers, the share aged over 50 reaches 67%, 66% and 64% respectively. Russian buyers, by contrast, are mostly under 50. Belgian and British buyers sit closer to the market average, at 53% and 49%.<\/p>\n

What budget, for which type of property?<\/h2>\n

The average sale price across all property types stands at Rs 28 million over 2005-2023; on resale, it climbs to Rs 38 million on average since 2007. 70% of units sold fall between Rs 4 million and Rs 30 million, against 30% above that threshold. Only 123 transactions, or 2% of total volume, went above Rs 100 million \u2014 the luxury end<\/a> of the Mauritian market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Average price by property type, 2005-2023<\/caption>\n
Property type<\/th>\nAverage price<\/th>\nTypical size<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Villa<\/td>\nRs 38M<\/td>\n110 to 5,125 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apartment (excl. G+2)<\/td>\nRs 21M<\/td>\n80 to 260 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Serviced plot (Smart City)<\/td>\nRs 27M<\/td>\n500 to 2,100 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The G+2 segment, open to all non-citizens since the law was relaxed, trades in a much tighter range: 67% of transactions close between Rs 6 million and Rs 15 million, with a further 21% up to Rs 24 million. Sales above Rs 50 million remain marginal there, at under 1%. It’s the most realistic entry budget for a buyer discovering the Mauritian market \u2014 and interest from the 20-50 age bracket in this segment has been growing.<\/p>\n

Buying in your own name, or through a structure?<\/h2>\n

69% of non-citizen buyers purchase in their own name, alone or jointly with a spouse. The remaining 31% go through a structure: a company (20.7% of transactions), a civil partnership (7.1%) \u2014 a route chosen by 12% of French buyers specifically \u2014 or a trust, which has gained noticeable traction since the pandemic (2.9% of the total). British and South African buyers relied more on commercial companies in the market’s early years, before South Africans increasingly shifted to trusts.<\/p>\n

Where are they buying?<\/h2>\n

The North and West together account for 78% of sales volume since 2005, with the North alone representing 51% of all transactions over the period. The East records the highest average prices on the island, driven by a small number of ultra-high-end projects, while the North and West \u2014 where most sales actually close \u2014 have kept a steadier, more stable average over time.<\/p>\n

And since 2023?<\/h2>\n

The EDB report stops at the end of 2023. For 2025, EDB Chief Executive Mahen Abhimanu Kundasamy told L’Express<\/em> that 862 residential purchase authorisations had been granted, a level he described as solid and reflective of sustained appeal for Mauritius’s residential offering \u2014 without breaking down that figure by nationality or age.<\/p>\n

What this profile means for a purchase project<\/h2>\n

These figures point to a typical buyer who is European or South African, often over 50, and who buys in their own name rather than through a structure \u2014 none of which changes the legal steps of the purchase<\/a>, which stay the same for any foreign buyer regardless of profile. But the growing share of younger buyers on the G+2<\/a> segment, cheaper than IRS or RES<\/a>, shows the Mauritian market is no longer reserved for a single wealth profile. To see where a purchase project sits against these budget and regional benchmarks, the regional price guide<\/a> and the new-build catalogue<\/a> make it possible to compare an intention to buy against what the market actually shows.<\/p>\n

Sources and verification<\/h2>\n