site.btaPermits for Construction of Residential Buildings Up 4.3% in Q1 of 2024, Y/Y

In the first quarter of 2024, the municipal authorities issued building permits for the construction of 1,823 residential buildings with 10,487 dwellings and and a gross building area of 1,203,134 sq m,  27 administrative buildings/offices with an area of 58,771 sq m, and 1,094 other buildings with an area of 534,982 sq m, the National Statistical Institute said here on Thursday. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the issued building permits for new residential buildings increased by 4.3%, the number of dwellings inside by 21.7%, and the gross building area by 23.4%. The issued building permits for administrative buildings and other buildings rose by 42.1% and 5.7%, respectively. At the same time, the gross building area increased for administrative buildings, by 94.2%, and decreased for other buildings, by 12.7%. 

Compared to the previous quarter, the issued permits for the construction of residential buildings decreased by 19.9%, the number of dwellings inside by 37.5%, and the gross building area by 36.0%. The buildings permits increased by 22.7% for administrative buildings but with a gross building area by 31.9% smaller. The issued building permits for other buildings dropped by 13.2% along with their gross building area, by 39.3%.

The highest number of building permits for new residential buildings was issued in the regions of Plovdiv (278), Sofia (217), Varna (212), Sofia (168), and Blagoevgrad (126). The highest number of dwellings will be built in the regions of the capital (3,329), Plovdiv (1,909), Varna (1,206), Burgas (1,032), and Stara Zagora (763).

The first quarter of 2024 saw the start of the construction of 1,389 residential buildings (down by 9.5% month on month and up by 9.2% year on year) with 9,089 dwellings inside (up by 23.1% month on month and by 37.8% year on year) and a gross building area of 957,599 sq m (up by 11.6% month on month and by 23.0% year on year). The construction began of 6 administrative buildings/offices (down by 25.00% month on month as well as year on year) with a gross building area of 3,998 sq m (down by 23.3% month on month and by 19.8% year on year) and of 550 other buildings (down by 14.2% month on month and up by 6.4% year on year) with a gross building area of 392,189 sq m (down by 28.1% month on month and up by 14.6% year on year).  

The highest number of new construction began in the regions of Plovdiv (255 residential buildings, 3 administrative buildings and 102 other buildings); the capital (229 residential buildings and 21 other buildings); Varna (174 residential buildings and 19 other buildings); and Stara Zagora (76 residential buildings and 94 other buildings).