Approved residential building permits and dwellings
Building permits are authorisations to initiate new building projects. The objective of these statistics is to indicate the future development of construction activity in terms of the number of approved new dwellings.
During the third quarter of 2023, 384 building permits for a total of 1,827 new dwellings were approved (Chart 1). When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022, the number of building permits decreased by 13.9 per cent while the number of approved new dwellings decreased by 12.7 per cent. The average number of approved new dwellings per building permit stood at 4.8 (Chart 1).
Map 1. Number of approved new dwellings, by locality (LAU 2): Q3/2023
Note: Għajnsielem and Comino are classified as one locality. However, no building permits were approved in Comino.
Chart 1. Building permits and approved new dwellings by period
Approved new dwellings by type1
The majority of new dwellings approved during the third quarter of 2023 were apartments (1,337), followed by penthouses (276), maisonettes (141), terraced houses (61) and other residential units1 (12) (Table 1). Apartments accounted for 73.2 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings (Chart 2).
Chart 2. Distribution of approved new dwellings by type
Quarter 3 - 2023
Approved new dwellings by district
When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022, the number of new dwellings approved in Malta decreased by 6.5 per cent while those in Gozo and Comino decreased by 35.5 per cent. The highest number of approved new dwellings was registered in the Northern Harbour district (528) while the lowest number was recorded in the Western district (160) (Table 2).
Approved new dwellings by locality2
The highest number of approved new dwellings was issued in San Pawl Il-Baħar (222). This was followed by Il-Mosta (110), Birkirkara (107), Ħal Qormi (85) and Tas-Sliema (82) (Chart 3).
2 Only the top 35 localities are shown in Chart 3. The full list of approved new dwellings by locality may be viewed in the corresponding table.
Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.
Chart 3. Approved new dwellings by locality
Quarter 3 - 2023
Methodological Notes
- During the third quarter of 2023, 384 building permits for a total of 1,827 new dwellings were approved.
- When compared to the same quarter of the previous year, the number of approved new dwellings decreased by 12.7 per cent.
- Apartments made up 73.2 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings.
- The highest number of approved new dwellings (222) was registered in San Pawl Il-Baħar.
Graphical Illustration of MALTA by NUTS Classification
Districts classification
Southern Harbour
Valletta, Il-Birgu, L-Isla, Bormla, Ħaż-Żabbar, Il-Fgura, Floriana, Il-Kalkara, Ħal Luqa, Il-Marsa, Raħal Ġdid,
Santa Luċija, Ħal Tarxien, Ix-Xgħajra.
Northern Harbour
Ħal Qormi, Birkirkara, Il-Gżira, Il-Ħamrun, L-Imsida, Pembroke, Tal-Pieta’, San Ġiljan, San Ġwann,
Santa Venera, Tas-Sliema, Is-Swieqi, Ta’ Xbiex.
South Eastern
Iż-Żejtun, Birżebbuġa, Il-Gudja, Ħal Għaxaq, Ħal Kirkop, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, L-Imqabba, Il-Qrendi, Ħal Safi,
Iż-Żurrieq.
Western
L-Imdina, Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Is-Siġġiewi, Ħ‘Attard, Ħal Balzan, Ħad-Dingli, L-Iklin, Ħal Lija, Ir-Rabat, L-Imtarfa.
Northern
Ħal Għargħur, Il-Mellieħa, L-Imġarr, Il-Mosta, In-Naxxar, San Pawl il-Baħar.
Gozo and Comino
Ir-Rabat, Il-Fontana, Għajnsielem and Comino, L-Għarb, L-Għasri, Ta’ Kerċem, Il-Munxar,
In-Nadur, Il-Qala, San Lawrenz, Ta’ Sannat, Ix-Xagħra, Ix-Xewkija, Iż-Żebbuġ.
Graphical Illustration of MALTA by LAU 2 Classification
| Key | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valletta | 18 | Floriana | 35 | Marsaskala | 52 | San Ġiljan | |||
| 2 | L-Imdina | 19 | Il-Fontana | 36 | Marsaxlokk | 53 | San Ġwann | |||
| 3 | Il-Birgu | 20 | Il-Gudja | 37 | Il-Mellieħa | 54 | San Lawrenz | |||
| 4 | L-Isla | 21 | Il-Gżira | 38 | L-Imġarr | 55 | San Pawl Il-Baħar | |||
| 5 | Bormla | 22 | Għajnsielem and Comino | 39 | Il-Mosta | 56 | Ta' Sannat | |||
| 6 | Ħal Qormi | 23 | L-Għarb | 40 | L-Imqabba | 57 | Santa Luċija | |||
| 7 | Ħaż-Żebbuġ | 24 | Ħal Għargħur | 41 | L-Imsida | 58 | Santa Venera | |||
| 8 | Ħaż-Żabbar | 25 | L-Għasri | 42 | Il-Munxar | 59 | Tas-Sliema | |||
| 9 | Is-Siġġiewi | 26 | Ħal Għaxaq | 43 | In-Nadur | 60 | Is-Swieqi | |||
| 10 | Iż-Żejtun | 27 | Il-Ħamrun | 44 | In-Naxxar | 61 | Ta' Xbiex | |||
| 11 | Ir-Rabat, Għawdex | 28 | L-Iklin | 45 | Raħal Ġdid | 62 | Ħal Tarxien | |||
| 12 | Ħ'Attard | 29 | Il-Kalkara | 46 | Pembroke | 63 | Ix-Xagħra | |||
| 13 | Ħal Balzan | 30 | Ta' Kerċem | 47 | Tal-Pieta' | 64 | Ix-Xewkija | |||
| 14 | Birkirkara | 31 | Ħal Kirkop | 48 | Il-Qala | 65 | Ix-Xgħajra | |||
| 15 | Birżebbuġa | 32 | Ħal Lija | 49 | Il-Qrendi | 66 | Iż-Żebbuġ, Għawdex | |||
| 16 | Ħad-Dingli | 33 | Ħal Luqa | 50 | Ir-Rabat, Malta | 67 | Iż-Żurrieq | |||
| 17 | Il-Fgura | 34 | Il-Marsa | 51 | Ħal Safi | 68 | L-Imtarfa |
