The government index also fell 1.7 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, the largest quarterly price drop on record. The index is calculated by tracking mortgage loans of $417,000 or less that are bought or backed by the government-sponsored mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Wall Street analysts have tended to focus on the S&P index, an update of which is due next Tuesday, as a way to measure the value of securities backed by subprime mortgages and loans to borrowers in big metropolitan areas.

Earlier this month, economic forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia projected the government index would show a 5.4 percent annual decline in the fourth quarter of 2008. The survey projected the reading would not recover until early 2009.

Adam York, an economic analyst with Wachovia Corp., said Thursday's data was not surprising. "It was pretty widely expected that we would see declines this quarter and for some time to come," he said.

The housing market is facing numerous troubles as buyers stay on the fence and rising mortgage defaults dump more homes on an already glutted market. In addition, many banks have raised their lending standards in response to the surge in mortgage defaults.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.98 percent this week. That was down from 6.01 percent last week and the lowest level in five weeks.

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