site.btaNational Statistical Institute: Q3 2024 Sees Surge in Permits and New Constructions Despite Mixed Growth in Residential and Administrative Sectors

In the third quarter of 2024, municipal authorities issued building permits for 2,113 residential buildings, which include 9,215 dwellings and cover a gross building area of 1,115,206 square meters, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said here on Monday.

Additionally, permits were granted for 18 administrative buildings/offices, encompassing a gross building area of 60,495 square meters, and for 1,162 other buildings with a gross building area of 572,420 square meters.

Compared to the previous quarter, the issued building permits for residential buildings increased by 9.2%, while the number of dwellings in these buildings decreased by 10.3%, and their gross building area dropped by 6.4%. The permits for administrative buildings saw a 12.5% increase, with their gross building area more than doubling. For other buildings, the number of permits decreased by 0.9%, but their gross building area went up by 28.6%.

In the third quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, building permits issued for new residential buildings increased by 0.3%, while the number of dwellings within them declined by 6.0%, and the gross building area decreased by 1.8%. Permits for administrative buildings and their gross building area both saw reductions, by 28.0% and 23.4%, respectively. Additionally, a decrease was observed in the permits for other types of buildings, which fell by 7.3%, accompanied by a 28.0% reduction in their gross building area.

The regions with the highest number of building permits for new residential buildings were Plovdiv, with 327 permits; Sofia (capital) with 261; Sofia (region) with 256; Burgas with 208; and Varna with 169. In terms of anticipated new dwellings, Plovdiv leads with 2,498 dwellings, followed by Sofia (capital) with 2,414, Varna with 829, Burgas with 789, and Blagoevgrad with 376.

In the same quarter, construction commenced on 1,553 residential buildings containing 6,707 dwellings, covering a gross building area of 935,057 square meters. Construction also began on 12 administrative buildings with a gross building area of 22,028 square meters and 578 other buildings with a total gross building area of 438,921 square meters.

Compared to the previous quarter of 2024, the number of residential buildings started decreased by 8.8%, the number of dwellings within them dropped by 23.9%, and their gross building area fell by 10.2%. The number of started administrative and other types of buildings decreased by 14.3% and 13.0%, respectively. The gross building area of administrative buildings grew by 3.2%, while the gross building area of other buildings declined by 2.5%.

Compared to the third quarter of 2023, the number of newly started residential buildings increased by 1.6%, with their gross building area increasing by 8.0%, even as the number of dwellings within these buildings decreased by 11.5%. The number of started administrative buildings decreased by 29.4%, but their gross building area went up by 93.5%. Construction of other building types decreased by 6.5% compared to the previous year, and their gross building area decreased by 24.2%.

The regions with the highest number of new buildings started this quarter were Plovdiv, with 264 residential buildings and 77 other buildings; Sofia (capital), with 225 residential buildings, 6 administrative buildings, and 18 other buildings; and Sofia (region), with 163 residential buildings and 46 other buildings.