Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, publishes today the figures on building permits until April 2019.
Annual evolution
The number of permits issued for new residential buildings in the first 4 months of 2019 has decreased by 19.8 % to 9,059 buildings compared to the same period in 2018. The decrease is the sharpest in the Flemish Region, where it amounted to 24 %. In the Walloon Region, the number of permits issued for new residential buildings was 3 % lower, and the Brussels-Capital Region registered a decrease of 23.1 %.
Table 1: Annual evolution - number of building permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period
| Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10,252 | 7,210 | 2,881 | 161 | ||||
| 2010 | 10,427 | (+1.7%) | 7,504 | (+4.1%) | 2,841 | (-1.4%) | 82 | (-49.1%) |
| 2015 | 7,182 | (-31.1%) | 5,129 | (-31.6%) | 1,991 | (-29.9%) | 62 | (-24.4%) |
| 2016 | 10,201 | (+42.0%) | 8,060 | (+57.1%) | 2,057 | (+3.3%) | 84 | (+35.5%) |
| 2017 | 7,364 | (-27.8%) | 5,049 | (-37.4%) | 2,247 | (+9.2%) | 68 | (-19.0%) |
| 2018 | 11,299 | (+53.4%) | 9,009 | (+78.4%) | 2,225 | (-1.0%) | 65 | (-4.4%) |
| 2019 | 9,059 | (-19.8%) | 6,850 | (-24.0%) | 2,159 | (-3.0%) | 50 | (-23.1%) |
| (Figures for the first 4 months - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period) | ||||||||
Monthly evolution
For the most recent month available, April 2019, building permits were issued for 2,432 new residential buildings. Compared to March 2019, this is a decrease of 2.3 %. In the Flemish Region, the decrease was 1.2 %. The number of permits issued for new residential buildings has decreased by 5.3 % in the Walloon Region. A decrease of 17.6 % was registered in the Brussels-Capital Region compared to the month before.
Table 2: Monthly figures - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period
| Month | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 2,411 | 1,714 | 680 | 17 | ||||
| 2018 | 2 | 2,482 | (+2.9%) | 2,028 | (+18.3%) | 434 | (-36.2%) | 20 | (+17.6%) |
| 2018 | 3 | 3,217 | (+29.6%) | 2,635 | (+29.9%) | 566 | (+30.4%) | 16 | (-20.0%) |
| 2018 | 4 | 3,189 | (-0.9%) | 2,632 | (-0.1%) | 545 | (-3.7%) | 12 | (-25.0%) |
| 2018 | 5 | 2,834 | (-11.1%) | 2,238 | (-15.0%) | 586 | (+7.5%) | 10 | (-16.7%) |
| 2018 | 6 | 2,173 | (-23.3%) | 1,546 | (-30.9%) | 617 | (+5.3%) | 10 | (0.0%) |
| 2018 | 7 | 1,994 | (-8.2%) | 1,425 | (-7.8%) | 555 | (-10.0%) | 14 | (+40.0%) |
| 2018 | 8 | 1,941 | (-2.7%) | 1,344 | (-5.7%) | 589 | (+6.1%) | 8 | (-42.9%) |
| 2018 | 9 | 2,056 | (+5.9%) | 1,621 | (+20.6%) | 422 | (-28.4%) | 13 | (+62.5%) |
| 2018 | 10 | 2,187 | (+6.4%) | 1,651 | (+1.9%) | 524 | (+24.2%) | 12 | (-7.7%) |
| 2018 | 11 | 2,126 | (-2.8%) | 1,487 | (-9.9%) | 626 | (+19.5%) | 13 | (+8.3%) |
| 2018 | 12 | 2,121 | (-0.2%) | 1,676 | (+12.7%) | 432 | (-31.0%) | 12 | (-7.7%) |
| 2019 | 1 | 2,133 | (+0.6%) | 1,547 | (-7.7%) | 577 | (+33.6%) | 9 | (-25.0%) |
| 2019 | 2 | 2,005 | (-6.0%) | 1,542 | (-0.3%) | 453 | (-21.5%) | 10 | (+11.1%) |
| 2019 | 3 | 2,489 | (+24.1%) | 1,892 | (+22.7%) | 580 | (+28.0%) | 17 | (+70.0%) |
| 2019 | 4 | 2,432 | (-2.3%) | 1,869 | (-1.2%) | 549 | (-5.3%) | 14 | (-17.6%) |
| (Monthly figures - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period) | |||||||||
Long term evolution
Since 2007, the number of permits for the renovation of residential buildings was generally higher than the number of permits for the construction of new residential buildings. This changes from the second quarter of 2018 onwards.
From 2003 onwards, more permits are issued for new apartments than for single family dwellings. During the years 2010-2011, both were at approximately the same level, but in recent years the difference has been increasing in favour of the apartments.
New construction vs renovation Single family dwellings vs apartments
