Building permits drop by 5% across Europe in 2022

Building permits (in terms of useful floor area) fell by almost 5% in the European Union (EU) in 2022, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.

Permits dropped to 386.7 million sq m last year, following a 15% increase in 2021, reflecting the rebound in the year after the Covid-19 pandemic peak.

In terms of number of dwellings, irrespective of their size, building permits also fell by 4% in the EU, after an increase of 16% in 2021.

Between 2015 and 2019, the number of permits went up by almost 6% on average per year. The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted these developments but the increases in 2021 compensated for the decline in 2020.

Source: Eurostat

Despite the fact that there were decreases in both indicators in 2022, the number of permits was still high, staying above pre-pandemic levels, Eurostat said.

There were nine countries where building permits (in terms of useful floor area) increased. They were:

• Malta (+29%)
• Spain (+28%)
• Croatia (+21%)
• Slovenia (+17%)
• Bulgaria (+12%)
• Italy (+8%)
• Hungary (+7%)
• Portugal (+3%)
• France (+2%)

In the remaining EU countries, the decreases in the number of building permits varied between -28% in Luxembourg and -1% in Romania.

Source: Eurostat