Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, publishes today the figures on building permits until September 2021.
Annual evolution
The number of permits issued for new residential buildings in the first 9 months of 2021 has increased by 14.1% to 24,383 buildings compared to the same period in 2020. The increase in the Flemish Region amounted to 12.4%. The number of permits issued for new residential buildings was 19.2% higher in the Walloon Region, and 29.5% higher in the Brussels-Capital Region.
(Figures for the first 9 months - number of building permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period)
| Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 23,557 | 16,340 | 6,934 | 283 | ||||
| 2010 | 22,665 | (-3.8%) | 15,755 | (-3.6%) | 6,722 | (-3.1%) | 188 | (-33.6%) |
| 2015 | 16,786 | (-25.9%) | 11,840 | (-24.8%) | 4,774 | (-29.0%) | 172 | (-8.5%) |
| 2016 | 18,389 | (+9.5%) | 13,603 | (+14.9%) | 4,635 | (-2.9%) | 151 | (-12.2%) |
| 2017 | 16,165 | (-12.1%) | 10,917 | (-19.7%) | 5,110 | (+10.2%) | 138 | (-8.6%) |
| 2018 | 22,346 | (+38.2%) | 17,248 | (+58.0%) | 4,978 | (-2.6%) | 120 | (-13.0%) |
| 2019 | 20,578 | (-7.9%) | 15,456 | (-10.4%) | 5,022 | (+0.9%) | 100 | (-16.7%) |
| 2020 | 21,366 | (+3.8%) | 16,119 | (+4.3%) | 5,142 | (+2.4%) | 105 | (+5.0%) |
| 2021 | 24,383 | (+14.1%) | 18,120 | (+12.4%) | 6,127 | (+19.2%) | 136 | (+29.5%) |
| (Figures for the first 9 months - number of building permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period) | ||||||||
Monthly evolution
For the most recent month available, September 2021, building permits were issued for 2,582 new residential buildings. Compared to August 2021, this is an increase of 2.8%. In the Flemish Region, the increase was also 2.8%, which means that permits were issued for 1,920 buildings. The number of permits issued for new buildings has increased by 4.1% to 657 in the Walloon Region. In the Brussels-Capital Region, permits were issued for 4 new residential buildings.
Monthly figures - number of permits for new residential buildings + evolution compared to the previous period
| Month | Belgium | Flemish Region | Walloon Region | Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 2,568 | 1,921 | 635 | 0.0% | 12 | |||
| 2020 | 2 | 2,432 | (-5.3%) | 1,944 | (+1.2%) | 475 | (-25.2%) | 13 | (+8.3%) |
| 2020 | 3 | 3,180 | (+30.8%) | 2,565 | (+31.9%) | 602 | (+26.7%) | 13 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 4 | 2,164 | (-31.9%) | 1,506 | (-41.3%) | 638 | (+6.0%) | 20 | (+53.8%) |
| 2020 | 5 | 1,732 | (-20.0%) | 1,273 | (-15.5%) | 452 | (-29.2%) | 7 | (-65.0%) |
| 2020 | 6 | 2,292 | (+32.3%) | 1,828 | (+43.6%) | 459 | (+1.5%) | 5 | (-28.6%) |
| 2020 | 7 | 2,237 | (-2.4%) | 1,637 | (-10.4%) | 587 | (+27.9%) | 13 | (+160.0%) |
| 2020 | 8 | 2,447 | (+9.4%) | 1,739 | (+6.2%) | 704 | (+19.9%) | 4 | (-69.2%) |
| 2020 | 9 | 2,314 | (-5.4%) | 1,706 | (-1.9%) | 590 | (-16.2%) | 18 | (+350.0%) |
| 2020 | 10 | 2,619 | (+13.2%) | 2,029 | (+18.9%) | 574 | (-2.7%) | 16 | (-11.1%) |
| 2020 | 11 | 2,236 | (-14.6%) | 1,669 | (-17.7%) | 563 | (-1.9%) | 4 | (-75.0%) |
| 2020 | 12 | 2,384 | (+6.6%) | 1,839 | (+10.2%) | 531 | (-5.7%) | 14 | (+250.0%) |
| 2021 | 1 | 2,553 | (+7.1%) | 1,896 | (+3.1%) | 645 | (+21.5%) | 12 | (-14.3%) |
| 2021 | 2 | 2,424 | (-5.1%) | 1,822 | (-3.9%) | 588 | (-8.8%) | 14 | (+16.7%) |
| 2021 | 3 | 3,553 | (+46.6%) | 2,648 | (+45.3%) | 882 | (+50.0%) | 23 | (+64.3%) |
| 2021 | 4 | 2,676 | (-24.7%) | 1,937 | (-26.9%) | 730 | (-17.2%) | 9 | (-60.9%) |
| 2021 | 5 | 2,607 | (-2.6%) | 1,954 | (+0.9%) | 642 | (-12.1%) | 12 | (+33.3%) |
| 2021 | 6 | 2,949 | (+13.1%) | 2,206 | (+12.9%) | 724 | (+12.8%) | 19 | (+58.3%) |
| 2021 | 7 | 2,527 | (-14.3%) | 1,870 | (-15.2%) | 628 | (-13.3%) | 29 | (+52.6%) |
| 2021 | 8 | 2,512 | (-0.6%) | 1,867 | (-0.2%) | 631 | (+0.5%) | 14 | (-51.7%) |
| 2021 | 9 | 2,582 | (+2.8%) | 1,920 | (+2.8%) | 657 | (+4.1%) | 4 | (-71.4%) |
| 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 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 the following months. During the last 12 months, this difference continues to increase month by month.
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. The difference is the greatest in 2018. From 2019 onwards, the gap narrows again.