Building permits recorded a strong increase in the first five months of 2026, with the number of permits, their total value and planned housing units all rising significantly compared with the same period last year.
According to data released by the Statistical Service, 3,650 building permits were issued between January and May 2026, compared with 2,764 in the first five months of 2025, an increase of 32.1%.
The total value of the permits exceeded €2.09 billion, up 43.9%, while the total area of the projects increased by 43.1% to 1.7 million square metres.
Housing units rise 63.7%
The number of housing units planned under the permits increased even more sharply.
A total of 8,978 residential units were approved, up 63.7% year on year from 5,484 in January-May 2025.
Residential apartment buildings accounted for the largest increase. Planned units in this category reached 6,667, up 90.6% from 3,497 a year earlier.
Units in mixed-use apartment buildings rose by 82.1% to 295, while semi-detached homes increased by 20% to 547. Detached houses recorded a more modest 7.3% increase to 1,469 units.
Residential construction leads growth
A total of 2,684 permits were issued for residential buildings during the first five months, representing a 31.3% increase.
Their total area rose by 62.8% to more than 1.54 million square metres, while their value increased by 61.6% to €1.79 billion.
Non-residential buildings showed a different trend. Although the number of permits increased by 7.1%, their total area fell by 40.2%, and their value declined by 28.8% to €196.5 million.
Other categories of projects also recorded significant increases. Permits for road construction rose by 150%, while permits for land subdivision increased by 62.6%. The value of land-subdivision permits almost doubled, rising by 99.2%.
May figures
In May alone, 735 building permits were issued, 21.1% more than in May 2025.
Their total value reached €428.2 million, while the total project area stood at 352,100 square metres.
The permits provide for the construction of 1,847 housing units, including 1,483 units in residential apartment buildings.
Electronic permit system
The Statistical Service noted that responsibility for issuing building permits was transferred to the District Local Government Organisations on 1 July 2024.
Applications are processed electronically through the “Ippodamos” system. The figures also include a significant number of older applications that had been submitted in paper form before the reform.
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