Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, publishes today the figures on building permits until October 2020.
Annual evolution
The number of permits issued for new residential buildings in the first 10 months of 2020 has increased by 4.5% to 24,000 buildings compared to the same period in 2019. The increase in the Flemish Region amounted to 5%. In the Walloon Region, the number of permits issued for new residential buildings was 3.1% higher, and the Brussels-Capital Region registered a decrease of 2.6%.
Annual figures - number of new authorised residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period
| Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 26,226 | 18,209 | 7,713 | 304 | ||||
| 2010 | 24,189 | (-7.8%) | 16,759 | (-8.0%) | 7,208 | (-6.5%) | 222 | (-27.0%) |
| 2015 | 18,532 | (-23.4%) | 13,093 | (-21.9%) | 5,247 | (-27.2%) | 192 | (-13.5%) |
| 2016 | 20,024 | (+8.1%) | 14,745 | (+12.6%) | 5,110 | (-2.6%) | 169 | (-12.0%) |
| 2017 | 18,681 | (-6.7%) | 12,879 | (-12.7%) | 5,649 | (+10.5%) | 153 | (-9.5%) |
| 2018 | 24,532 | (+31.3%) | 18,908 | (+46.8%) | 5,492 | (-2.8%) | 132 | (-13.7%) |
| 2019 | 22,972 | (-6.4%) | 17,268 | (-8.7%) | 5,590 | (+1.8%) | 116 | (-12.1%) |
| 2020 | 24,000 | (+4.5%) | 18,124 | (+5.0%) | 5,764 | (+3.1%) | 113 | (-2.6%) |
| (Figures for the first 10 months - number of building permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period) | ||||||||
Monthly evolution
For the most recent month available, October 2020, building permits were issued for 2,666 new residential buildings. Compared to September 2020, this is an increase of 15.8%. In the Flemish Region, the increase was 18.8%, which means that permits were issued for 2,027 buildings. The number of permits issued for new buildings has increased by 7.3% to 629 in the Walloon Region. In the Brussels-Capital Region, permits were issued in October for the construction of 10 new residential buildings, as many as in the previous month.
Monthly figures - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period
| Month | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 2,119 | 1,552 | 557 | 10 | ||||
| 2019 | 2 | 2,007 | (-5.3%) | 1,550 | (-0.1%) | 448 | (-19.6%) | 9 | (-10.0%) |
| 2019 | 3 | 2,483 | (+23.7%) | 1,903 | (+22.8%) | 565 | (+26.1%) | 15 | (+66.7%) |
| 2019 | 4 | 2,413 | (-2.8%) | 1,874 | (-1.5%) | 524 | (-7.3%) | 15 | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 | 2,086 | (-13.6%) | 1,535 | (-18.1%) | 546 | (+4.2%) | 5 | (-66.7%) |
| 2019 | 6 | 2,257 | (+8.2%) | 1,687 | (+9.9%) | 554 | (+1.5%) | 16 | (+220.0%) |
| 2019 | 7 | 2,546 | (+12.8%) | 1,874 | (+11.1%) | 662 | (+19.5%) | 10 | (-37.5%) |
| 2019 | 8 | 2,201 | (-13.6%) | 1,615 | (-13.8%) | 572 | (-13.6%) | 15 | (+50.0%) |
| 2019 | 9 | 2,470 | (+12.2%) | 1,861 | (+15.2%) | 604 | (+5.6%) | 5 | (-66.7%) |
| 2019 | 10 | 2,390 | (-3.2%) | 1,817 | (-2.4%) | 558 | (-7.6%) | 16 | (+220.0%) |
| 2019 | 11 | 2,161 | (-9.6%) | 1,576 | (-13.3%) | 571 | (+2.3%) | 15 | (-6.3%) |
| 2019 | 12 | 2,329 | (+7.8%) | 1,813 | (+15.0%) | 509 | (-10.9%) | 7 | (-53.3%) |
| 2020 | 1 | 2,560 | (+9.9%) | 1,921 | (+6.0%) | 627 | (+23.2%) | 12 | (+71.4%) |
| 2020 | 2 | 2,433 | (-5.0%) | 1,944 | (+1.2%) | 474 | (-24.4%) | 15 | (+25.0%) |
| 2020 | 3 | 3,172 | (+30.4%) | 2,565 | (+31.9%) | 592 | (+24.9%) | 15 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 4 | 2,176 | (-31.4%) | 1,506 | (-41.3%) | 647 | (+9.3%) | 23 | (+53.3%) |
| 2020 | 5 | 1,744 | (-19.9%) | 1,273 | (-15.5%) | 463 | (-28.4%) | 8 | (-65.2%) |
| 2020 | 6 | 2,290 | (+31.3%) | 1,828 | (+43.6%) | 457 | (-1.3%) | 5 | (-37.5%) |
| 2020 | 7 | 2,237 | (-2.3%) | 1,637 | (-10.4%) | 589 | (+28.9%) | 11 | (+120.0%) |
| 2020 | 8 | 2,420 | (+8.2%) | 1,717 | (+4.9%) | 700 | (+18.8%) | 4 | (-63.6%) |
| 2020 | 9 | 2,302 | (-4.9%) | 1,706 | (-0.6%) | 586 | (-16.3%) | 10 | (+150.0%) |
| 2020 | 10 | 2,666 | (+15.8%) | 2,027 | (+18.8%) | 629 | (+7.3%) | 10 | 0.0% |
| Monthly figures - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period | |||||||||
Impact of the COVID-19
As a result of the pandemic, the regional authorities of all the regions have decided to extend the deadlines for public enquiries on current building permit applications, which has had an impact on the number of new residential buildings authorised from the second quarter onwards. In the Flemish Region, there is a clear decline during the fourth and fifth months. The level seems to be recovering from June onwards. In the Walloon Region, the number of permits issued for new residential buildings registers a striking decrease from the fifth month and the level seems to be recovering from July onwards.
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 briefly from the second quarter of 2018 onwards. From February 2019 onwards, the number of permits for the renovation of residential buildings is again higher than the number of permits for the construction of new residential buildings, but the difference remains small. In recent months, new buildings and renovations have been on the same level.
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. Afterwards, the difference has been increasing again in favour of the apartments. In recent months, the difference has narrowed again.
New construction vs renovation Single family dwellings vs apartments
