UK residential property prices rose 9.8% last year, the Office for National Statistics has said.

Annual house price inflation was 10.2% in England, 4% in Wales, 5.5% in Scotland and 4.9% in Northern Ireland.

On a “seasonally adjusted” basis, average house prices increased by 0.7% between November and December.

In December 2014, prices paid by first-time buyers were 9.5% higher on average than in December 2013. For home movers, prices increased by 9.8% for the same period.

According to the ONS, average “mix-adjusted” house prices in December were £285,000 in England, £173,000 in Wales, £142,000 in Northern Ireland and £193,000 in Scotland.

The average London house price was £502,000 in contrast to the average house price in the north-east of £153,000.

Excluding London and the south-east, the average UK “mix-adjusted” house price was £208,000.

In December, the average price paid for a house by a first-time buyer was £208,000 and the average price paid by a home mover was £314,000.

Separately, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has reported that there were 55,600 house purchase loans in December. This was 1% up on November. Loans to first-time buyers were 3% up. The CML said that in the fourth quarter of last year there were 173,200 house purchase loans – a quarter-on-quarter decline of 5%.

Overall last year there were 676,900 house purchase loans, up 11% on 2013 and the highest annual lending level since 2007.

First-time buyers in 2014 were advanced a total of 311,500 loans for house purchase, up 15% on 2013.