In 2025, Germany approved 238,500 apartments for construction. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced a provisional 10.8 % rise – 23,200 apartments more – compared with 2024, when approval numbers had slipped to their lowest level since 2010. It is the first increase in residential permits since 2021. The figure includes both approvals for new‑build apartments and for apartments created by converting existing buildings, and it is an important early indicator of future building activity.
“New‑build approvals”
” Total new‑build approvals: 198,100, an increase of 12.6 % (22,100 units) over the previous year.
” New‑build conversions: 40,400, up 2.7 % (1,000 units).
“Housing type breakdown”
” Single‑family homes: 44,500 approvals, up 17.2 % (6,500 units).
” Double‑family homes: 12,600 approvals, essentially unchanged (a fall of 1 % or 100 units).
” Single‑ and double‑family homes together make up 28.8 % of all newly approved apartments.
” Multi‑family buildings: 128,100 approvals, up 12.1 % (13,900 units) and representing 64.6 % of all new‑build apartments. The rise appears only from the second half of the year.
” New residential halls: 9,100 approvals, a 34.2 % jump (2,300 units).
“Non‑residential buildings”
” New non‑residential buildings: 3,900 approvals, a 10.3 % drop (400 units). Examples include caretaker flats in schools or apartments on commercial premises.
” Conversions in existing residential and non‑residential buildings: 40,400 approvals, up 2.7 % (1,000 units) compared with 2024.
“Who is building”
About 95 % of the 198,100 new‑build approvals involve private individuals or companies.
” Companies: 108,800 approvals, a 14.6 % rise in new apartments (13,900 units).
” Private individuals: 79,200 approvals, a 14.9 % rise (10,200 units).
” Public‑sector approvals fell 23.2 % by 2,100 units to 6,900.
“Non‑residential construction activity”
New non‑residential projects declined. Key sectors include factories, warehouses, offices, administration buildings, and agricultural facilities. The central indicator of construction activity here is renovated floor space, which dropped 5.2 % to 183.1 million cubic metres in 2025 – the lowest figure since 2014 (186.8 million cubic metres).
Breakdowns:
” Warehouses: 17.1 % decrease.
” Factories and workshops: 13.0 % decrease.
” Institutional buildings (hospitals, nursing homes): 37.8 % decrease.
” Trade buildings: 24.9 % increase.
” Agricultural buildings: 11.8 % increase.