Young couple bought a flat without help from their parents – Statistics Iceland investigates

Statistics Iceland has launched a formal investigation after a young couple in Reykjavík bought a three-room flat without their parents or grandparents contributing so much as a single króna.

“This simply doesn't add up statistically,” says an expert at the agency who asked not to be named. “We've run the models three times. Every time, the result says they should still be living in their mum's basement.”

The couple, Sigrún (31) and Atli (33), say they saved for the deposit for eleven years by eating nothing but porridge and giving up the swimming pool. “We cancelled Netflix too,” says Sigrún. “And stopped speaking to our friends, so we'd never have to buy birthday presents.”

The Central Bank reacted swiftly to the news and raised its key rate by 0.75 percentage points “to ensure this does not happen again”.

According to the estate agent, the flat was “an absolute gem”: 54 square metres, 12 of them usable, with a view of another construction crane. The asking price was 89.9 million krónur, but after seven offers it sold for 104 million. The buyers also committed to naming their firstborn after the seller.

Politicians from every party welcomed the news, saying it showed their housing policy was finally paying off. None of them could explain which policy they meant.

The investigation is ongoing. The couple have been asked to keep a low profile until it concludes, so as not to create “unrealistic expectations” among other young buyers.