Pressure on first-time housebuyers in Scotland appears to be easing, despite a rising trend in the rest of the UK, a report has found.

RBS's ability to buy index, a new measure that calculates buying power by offsetting earnings against house prices, interest rates, taxes and essential living costs, found Scots faced a slightly harder task in buying a new home than the UK as a whole.

However, the Scottish index figure fell from 109.1 in the third quarter of 2009 to 99 two years later, while in the UK as a whole the measure increased during the same period from 97.3 to 98.6.

Mortgages for new homeowners in Scotland accounted for 45% of disposable income, compared to 84% at the peak of the market in 2007.

The report also calculated that Scottish buyers could save a 10% deposit for a property in 31 months, while in London the same exercise would take 46 months.

Fionnuala Earley, RBS Group UK consumer economist, said: "Inflation is now beginning to fall and assuming earnings still rise and interest rates remain low, this should help to improve the ability for first-time buyers to enter the market.

"It is a little surprising that even though house prices are falling and incomes have increased, first-time buyers are squeezed more now than they were during the 2009 recession. The rising cost of essential goods and services has eroded their discretionary income.

"But low interest rates are still a tremendous help. A 90% loan for a first-time buyer would take up just 51% of available income today compared with 83% at the market peak. This gives borrowers a much bigger financial cushion."