Young people in Wales are finding it increasingly difficult to get a foothold in the housing market, new figures from the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru have revealed.

Research has found the gap between wages and property prices is widening, making it hard for first-time buyers. Younger working households earn £27,039 on average a year. However, the average price for two and three-bed houses is almost four times that at £107,864.

The problem is most severe in rural areas such as Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Monmouthshire, where house prices are around five times more than average incomes.

The ratio is at its lowest in the south Wales valleys. For example, in Merthyr Tydfil, where the average household income is £29,259, average homes sell for £65,251.