Germany’s Federal Statistical Office

Strong growth for approved homes in 2016

In 2016, the construction of a total of 375 400 homes was approved in Germany. As Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports, that was 21.6 % or around 66 700 more construction permits for homes than in the year 2015. The positive development that began back in 2009 therefore continued in the year 2016. A higher number of approved homes was last registered in the year 1999 (440 800).

Of the homes approved in the year 2016, 316 600 were newbuild apartments in residential buildings (+ 19.8 % compared to the previous-year period). This strong growth was evident primarily in apartment blocks (+ 26.6 % respectively + 36 500 apartments) and semi-detached houses (+ 13.2 % respectively + 2 700 homes). For detached houses, the number of approved homes remained unchanged in 2016 compared to 2015. The strongest percentage increase was in permits for homes in residence buildings with + 109.7 % respectively + 13 100 homes. This category included accommodation of refugees. Without consideration of the homes in residences, the construction permits in new residential buildings increased by 15.5 %.

The number of homes created by approved conversions and extensions of existing buildings reached 52 300 homes in 2016, the highest level since 1998 (58 100).

The developed space of the approved new non-residential buildings increased in 2016 compared to the previous year period by 27.7 mill. cubic metres to 216.6 mill. cubic metres (+ 14.7 %). This development can be attributed to both the increase in building permits for public buildings (+ 29.8 %) and privately owned buildings (+ 13.3 %).

Statistisches Bundesamt
www.destatis.de