Number of buildings with planning permission fell 10.9% in 1Q

The number of buildings licensed in the first quarter fell by 10.9%, to 6,500 buildings, compared to the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

In a note on licenced and completed works, the INE stated that, in the first three months of the year, “6,500 buildings were licensed, which corresponds to a year-on-year decrease of 10.9%”. This reduction was, however, less than the year-on-year variation in the previous quarter, when it fell by 13.5% compared to the last three months of 2024.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) recorded that building permits for new construction fell by 9.9% (-10.4% in the previous quarter), while rehabilitation works decreased by 13.2%, “mitigating the decrease recorded in the previous quarter (-22.4%)”.

The number of completed buildings was 3,900, a year-on-year increase of 1.5%, compared to a reduction of 4.2% in the previous quarter.

According to the same information, in the family housing segment, “the number of dwellings licensed in new constructions decreased by 3.1%, after the growth of 16.9% observed in the fourth quarter of 2025”, while the number of completed dwellings was 3.7%, reinforced compared to the previous 3.6%.

Compared to the previous quarter, the number of licensed buildings increased by 9.6%, while the number of completed buildings decreased by 3.7%.

According to the INE (National Institute of Statistics), in the first quarter, only the Autonomous Region of Madeira (12.7%) and Alentejo (5.0%) had year-on-year increases in the number of licensed buildings, while Greater Lisbon (-22.3%), Algarve (-19.1%) and the Autonomous Region of the Azores (-15.5%) had the most significant decreases.

Among the licensed buildings, 75.8% are for new construction, of which 82.2% are intended for family housing.

Regarding completed buildings, there were increases in the Oeste and Vale do Tejo regions (17.4%), Alentejo (12.5%), Greater Lisbon (11.7%), and the Setúbal Peninsula and Madeira Autonomous Region (both with 3.5%), while the remaining regions saw decreases in the number of completed buildings.

Among new constructions, 82.2% were completed buildings, of which 79.4% are intended for family housing.

Source: INE. Credits: Idealista