Recent data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicates a positive trend in German construction activity. In June, permits for the construction of 19,000 residential units were approved, representing a 7.9 percent, or 1,400 unit, increase compared to June 2024.
For the first half of 2025, a total of 110,000 residential units received building permits. This figure marks a 2.9 percent, or 3,100 unit, increase from the first half of 2024, a period which had seen the lowest number of approvals for the first six months of the year since 2010. The data encompasses permits for residential units in both new construction projects and renovations of existing buildings.
Focusing on new residential buildings, June 2025 saw approvals for 15,200 units, a 9.5 percent, or 1,300 unit, increase year-over-year. The first half of 2025 registered a 4.3 percent, or 3,700 unit, increase in approvals for new-build apartments and houses compared to the same period last year. Notably, permits for single-family homes rose significantly, increasing by 14.1 percent (+2,600) to reach 21,300.
Conversely, approvals for two-family homes decreased by 8.3 percent (-500), totaling 6,000 units. Multi-family homes, which represent the largest category of building type, saw 57,300 new residential units approved in the first half of 2025 – a figure that remained practically unchanged (+0.1 percent or 31 units) compared to the previous year.