This dataset provides values for BUILDING PERMITS reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Building permits for homes in the European Union (EU-27) experienced a significant decline betwen 2021 and 2024. In 2021, permits were approved for **** million housing units. However, by 2024, this number fell to **** million. The year when housing permits decreased the most was 2023, when housing permits were **** percent lower than the previous year. Among those approvals, nearly twice as many multifamily units were permitted compared to single-family homes. Which country built more homes? Despite the overall decline in EU building permits, individual countries showed varying levels of residential construction activity. Turkey had the highest number of housing units approved by building permits in 2023, with more than ******* units. France followed with ******* units. However, that was partly so because they were the largest countries in Europe. When comparing the number of construction starts of new residential properties per 1,000 citizens, Ireland led with approximately **** new residences per 1,000 citizens, while Italy had only **** new residences per 1,000 citizens.

Real estate investment outlook The decrease in building permits aligns with shifting sentiments in the European real estate industry. According to a 2024 survey of industry experts, investment prospects for house building declined after 2022. However, the prospect score for real estate investment in 2025 increased to **** out of 5 (on a scale from 1 = poor to 5 = excellent). These trends suggest that, despite challenges in residential construction, real estate development activities may start growing again.

The objective of the building permit index is to show the future development of construction activity in terms of per square meter of useful floor. The current base year is 2021 (Index 2021 = 100). The index is presented in seasonally adjusted form. Growth rates with respect to the previous month (M/M-1) are calculated from seasonally adjusted figures while growth rates with respect to the same month of the previous year (M/M-12) are calculated from raw data.

In 2023, the floor area of buildings approved by building permits in the EU was ***** million square meters. That figure was made up by residential and non-residential buildings at almost equal parts. Overall, the floor area for both types of construction in 2023 was lower than in the previous years.

European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EA 20 data was reported at 98.000 2021=100 in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 86.100 2021=100 for Nov 2024. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EA 20 data is updated monthly, averaging 100.050 2021=100 from Jan 2005 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 240 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 165.300 2021=100 in Sep 2007 and a record low of 61.300 2021=100 in Jan 2015. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EA 20 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.EA015: Eurostat: Building Permit Index: 2021=100.

This statistic shows the distribution of building permits issued for residential buildings' construction in the European Union for 2006 and 2014, by country. The number of building permits issued in Spain in 2006 comprised ** percent of all building permits issued in the EU that year, whilst in 2014, it decreased to share of only ***** percent.

Graph and download economic data for Orders: Construction: Permits Issued: Dwellings and Residential Buildings for Euro Area (19 Countries) (ODCNPI03EZA657S) from 1996 to 2022 about issues, Euro Area, permits, Europe, residential, construction, and housing.

European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EU 27 excl UK data was reported at 98.700 2021=100 in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 84.200 2021=100 for Nov 2024. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EU 27 excl UK data is updated monthly, averaging 98.300 2021=100 from Jan 2005 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 240 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 161.000 2021=100 in Sep 2007 and a record low of 59.100 2021=100 in Jan 2015. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Non Residential: EU 27 excl UK data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.EA015: Eurostat: Building Permit Index: 2021=100.

This statistic shows the change in index for building permits issued for residential buildings' construction (calculated for buildings with *** or more dwellings) in the European Union from 2008 to 2017. The index reached ***** points in 2008 and since then it has fallen.

The number of housing units approved by building permits in the European Union decreased significantly in 2023. Those figures excluded community residences. However, there were twice as many multifamily units approved as single-family homes.

Building permits - annual data

The European country with most housing units approved by building permits in 2023 was Turkey. France was the second country in that ranking, which did not include all major European countries. That year, the construction of ******* homes was approved by building permits in France.

Among the selected European countries, Turkey had the most floor area approved by permits for the construction of residential buildings in 2023. France was the second country in the ranking with nearly **** million square meters approved by permits, followed by Germany with around **** million square meters.

European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Residential: Excl Communities: EU 27 excl UK data was reported at 66.100 2021=100 in Nov 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 71.700 2021=100 for Oct 2024. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Residential: Excl Communities: EU 27 excl UK data is updated monthly, averaging 87.900 2021=100 from Jan 2005 (Median) to Nov 2024, with 239 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 223.700 2021=100 in Dec 2005 and a record low of 59.400 2021=100 in Jan 2015. European Union Building Permits Index: Useful Area: Residential: Excl Communities: EU 27 excl UK data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.EA015: Eurostat: Building Permit Index: 2021=100.

This statistic shows the rate of change in numbers of building permits issued for residential buildings' construction (calculated for buildings with *** or more dwellings) in the European Union from 2008 to 2017. The number of building permits started rising in 2014.

European Union Building Permits Index: Residential: Excl Communities: EA 19 data was reported at 127.200 2015=100 in Nov 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 136.900 2015=100 for Oct 2018. European Union Building Permits Index: Residential: Excl Communities: EA 19 data is updated monthly, averaging 226.100 2015=100 from Jan 1995 (Median) to Nov 2018, with 287 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 463.000 2015=100 in Oct 2006 and a record low of 77.700 2015=100 in Feb 2015. European Union Building Permits Index: Residential: Excl Communities: EA 19 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Eurostat. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.EA010: Eurostat: Building Permit Index: 2015=100.

Dwellings and Residential Buildings Permits Issued for Construction for the European Union was 4.86360 Index 2005 = 1.00 in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Dwellings and Residential Buildings Permits Issued for Construction for the European Union reached a record high of 4.86360 in January of 2023 and a record low of 4.43492 in January of 2021. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Dwellings and Residential Buildings Permits Issued for Construction for the European Union - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Dwellings and Residential Buildings Permits Issued for Construction for the European Union (ODCNPI03EUQ657S) from Q2 1995 to Q4 2019 about EU, issues, permits, Europe, residential, construction, and housing.

This dataset provides values for BUILDING PERMITS reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Building permits - quarterly data