Federal Statistical Office: Positive trend in housing construction

7.2% more housing units completed in Germany in 2013

Approximately 214 800 new housing units were completed in Germany in the year 2013. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), that was nearly 14 400, or 7.2%, more units than in the previous year. For the third time in a row now, the number of completed housing units has risen sharply from year to year. In 2012, the increase amounted to 9.5% after a huge 14.6% in 2011.

188,400 new domiciles in residential buildings were completed last year (+6.7% over the year 2012), but those in multi-family houses showed the greatest increase, at 11.1%, followed by duplex units, at 5.9%. The completion of single-family homes accelerated by 1.2%.

The cumulative net building volume of newly completed non-residential buildings also increased by 1.2% over 2012, to approx. 189.7 million m³, nearly all of which goes to the account of public-sector constructors (+ 9.7%). Cumulative net building volume for private builder/owners, however, only expanded by 0.4% over the previous year.

9.6% more housing construction permits in the first half of 2014

Between January and June 2014, permits for 136 800 new housing units were issued in Germany. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), that amounted to 9.6%, or 12 000 units, more than during the first half of 2013. It also means that the current positive trend remained intact through mid-year 2014 (semi-annual comparison starting with 2010: + 5.2%. 2011: + 27.9%. 2012: + 4.9% and 2013: + 9.6%).

All in all, 118700 new residential units were approved during the first six months of 2014. That was 7.3% more than in the same period of last year. Specifically, dwellings in multi-family houses showed the greatest increase (+ 12.8%), while construction permits for single-family and two-family homes showed a minor decline over the reporting period (– 1.0% and – 0.4%, respectively).

The total cubic content of approved new non-residential buildings receded to 92.2 million m³ for a 0.7% downturn in half-year results for 2014 vis-à-vis 2013. This was largely attributable to a drop in the number of building permits issued for public-sector construction projects (– 21.7%). Conversely, the volume increased somewhat (+ 1.5%) in the private sector. On a type-of-building basis, there was a marked downturn in permits issued for institutional buildings (– 20.3%) and for farm buildings (– 21.6%).