Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, publishes today the figures on building permits until March 2019.
Annual evolution
The number of permits issued for new residential buildings in the first 3 months of 2019 has decreased by 18.4 % to 6,619 buildings compared to the same period in 2018. The decrease is the sharpest in the Flemish Region, where it amounted to 21.9 %. In the Walloon Region, the number of permits issued for new residential buildings was 4.7 % lower, and the Brussels-Capital Region registered a decrease of 28.3 %.
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 | 7,453 | 5,323 | 1,995 | 135 | ||||
| 2010 | 7,154 | (-4.0%) | 5,077 | (-4.6%) | 2,015 | (+1.0%) | 62 | (-54.1%) |
| 2015 | 5,497 | (-23.2%) | 4,007 | (-21.1%) | 1,446 | (-28.2%) | 44 | (-29.0%) |
| 2016 | 7,680 | (+39.7%) | 6,113 | (+52.6%) | 1,497 | (+3.5%) | 70 | (+59.1%) |
| 2017 | 5,761 | (-25.0%) | 4,008 | (-34.4%) | 1,692 | (+13.0%) | 61 | (-12.9%) |
| 2018 | 8,110 | (+40.8%) | 6,377 | (+59.1%) | 1,680 | (-0.7%) | 53 | (-13.1%) |
| 2019 | 6,619 | (-18.4%) | 4,980 | (-21.9%) | 1,601 | (-4.7%) | 38 | (-28.3%) |
| Figures for the first 3 months - number of building permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period | ||||||||
Monthly evolution
For the most recent month available, March 2019, building permits were issued for 2,504 new residential buildings. Compared to February 2019, this is an increase of 24.2 %. In the Flemish Region, the increase was 22.6 %. The number of permits issued for new residential buildings has increased by 28.7 % in the Walloon Region. An increase of 54.5 % 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 | 2,174 | (-23.3%) | 1,546 | (-30.9%) | 618 | (+5.5%) | 10 | (0.0%) |
| 2018 | 7 | 1,995 | (-8.2%) | 1,425 | (-7.8%) | 555 | (-10.2%) | 14 | (+40.0%) |
| 2018 | 8 | 1,942 | (-2.7%) | 1,344 | (-5.7%) | 590 | (+6.3%) | 8 | (-42.9%) |
| 2018 | 9 | 2,045 | (+5.3%) | 1,621 | (+20.6%) | 410 | (-30.5%) | 13 | (+62.5%) |
| 2018 | 10 | 2,184 | (+6.8%) | 1,651 | (+1.9%) | 521 | (+27.1%) | 12 | (-7.7%) |
| 2018 | 11 | 2,132 | (-2.4%) | 1,487 | (-9.9%) | 631 | (+21.1%) | 13 | (+8.3%) |
| 2018 | 12 | 2,127 | (-0.2%) | 1,676 | (+12.7%) | 438 | (-30.6%) | 13 | (0.0%) |
| 2019 | 1 | 2,099 | (-1.3%) | 1,547 | (-7.7%) | 542 | (+23.7%) | 10 | (-23.1%) |
| 2019 | 2 | 2,016 | (-4.0%) | 1,542 | (-0.3%) | 463 | (-14.6%) | 11 | (+10.0%) |
| 2019 | 3 | 2,504 | (+24.2%) | 1,891 | (+22.6%) | 596 | (+28.7%) | 17 | (+54.5%) |
| (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
