site.btaQ1/2025 Permits for Construction of Residential Buildings Up by 8.8% from Q4/2024

In the first quarter of 2025, permits issued for the construction of residential buildings in Bulgaria increased from the fourth quarter of 2024, while permits for the construction of office buildings decreased, the National Statistical Institute reported on Friday.

In the first quarter of 2025, authorities issued permits for the construction of 2,084 residential buildings, up by 8.8% compared with the fourth quarter of 2024. They comprised 10,576 dwellings, increasing by 7.3%. The total floor area of the dwellings was 1,302,121 square metres, growing by 18%. The authorities also permitted the construction of 12 office buildings, decreasing by 20%, with a total floor area of 3,724 sq m, shrinking by 89.3%. Permits for the construction of other buildings numbered 1,080, down by 8.9%, and the total floor area of such buildings was 612,722 sq m, decreasing by 2.5%.

In the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024, permits issued for the construction of residential buildings increased by 14.3%, the dwellings in these buildings were up by 0.8%, and their total floor area grew by 8.2%. Permits for the construction of office buildings dropped by 55.6%, and the total floor area in these buildings shrank by 93.7%. Permits for other buildings went down by 1.3%, but the total floor area in such buildings expanded by 14.5%.

In the first quarter of 2025, the largest number of permits for the construction of residential buildings were issued in Plovdiv Region (368), Sofia City (which has the status of a region – 349), Sofia Region (228) and the regions of Varna (199) and Burgas (126).

The period in review saw the start of construction of 1,431 residential buildings across Bulgaria (down by 7% compared with the fourth quarter of 2024) with 6,090 dwellings in them (29.2% down) and a total floor area of 738,912 sq m (22.8% down), as well as 12 office buildings (50% up) with a total floor area of 7,051 sq m (15.3% up), and 576 other buildings (4% down) with a total floor area of 574,691sq m (53.9% up).

Compared with the first quarter of 2024, residential buildings whose construction started in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 3% but the dwellings in them decreased by 33% and their total floor area contracted by 22.8%. Office buildings whose construction started during the same period increased by 100% and their total floor area was 76.4% more. Other buildings whose construction started in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 4.7% and their total floor area grew by 46.5%.

The largest number of buildings whose construction started in the first quarter of 2025 was reported in Plovdiv Region (289 residential, 65 other), followed by Sofia Region (158 residential, three office, 77 other), Sofia City (195 residential, 12 other) and Burgas Region (126 residential, 39 other).