News Releases

Residential Building Permits: Q3/2024  

NR220/2024
Release Date: 21 November 2024
Cut-off Date: 30 September 2024

A set of open and rolled up blueprints on wooden table background with a pencil, a ruler and compasses lying beside. Engineering and design. Construction projects. Planning.
  • During the third quarter of 2024, 394 building permits for a total of 1,744 new dwellings were approved.
  • When compared to the same quarter of 2023, the number of approved new dwellings decreased by 4.5 per cent.
  • When compared to Q3 2023, dwellings approved in Malta decreased by 8.1 per cent while those in Gozo and Comino increased by 14.3 per cent.
  • Apartments made up 68.8 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings.
  • The highest number of approved new dwellings (149) was registered in Birkirkara.

Residential Building Permits: Q3/2024

Residential Building Permits: Q3/2024

NR220/2024
Release Date: 21 November 2024
Cut-off Date: 30 September 2024

During the third quarter of 2024 a total of 1,744 new dwellings were approved, registering a decrease of 4.5 per cent when compared to the same quarter of 2023.
A set of open and rolled up blueprints on wooden table background with a pencil, a ruler and compasses lying beside. Engineering and design. Construction projects. Planning.

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 2024, 394 building permits for a total of 1,744 new dwellings were approved (Map 1 and Chart 1). When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023, the number of building permits increased by 2.6 per cent while the number of approved new dwellings decreased by 4.5 per cent. The average number of approved new dwellings per building permit stood at 4.4 (Chart 1).

Map 1. Number of approved new dwellings, by locality (LAU 2): Q3/2024

Note: Għajnsielem and Comino are classified as one locality. However, no building permits were approved in Comino.

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Approved new dwellings by type

The majority of new dwellings approved during the third quarter of 2024 were apartments (1,199), followed by penthouses (281), maisonettes (153), terraced houses (88) and other residential units1 (23) (Table 1). Apartments accounted for 68.8 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings (Chart 2).

1 “Other” dwellings type includes bungalows, farmhouses and villas.

Chart 2. Distribution of approved new dwellings by type

Approved new dwellings by district

When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023, the number of new dwellings approved in Malta decreased by 8.1 per cent while those in Gozo and Comino increased by 14.3 per cent. The highest number of approved new dwellings was registered in the Northern Harbour district (516) while the lowest number was recorded in the Western district (184) (Table 2).

Approved new dwellings by locality

The highest number of approved new dwellings was issued for Birkirkara (149). This was followed by San Pawl Il-Baħar (94), Ħal Tarxien (72), Iż-Żurrieq (68) and Ħal Qormi (67) (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 excel sheet (Table 3).

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Methodological Notes

1. The data source of this news release is the Maltese Planning Authority. It includes approved residential building permits for the:
●  construction of approved new dwellings
●  change of use from non-residential buildings to residential ones
 
2. Building permits for dwelling extensions, restorations, alterations, or demolitions that have no effect on the number of new dwellings are not included in this news release.
 
3. Definitions:
● Building permit: An authorisation to start work on a building project. It can include more than one approved new dwelling.
● Dwelling: A room or suite of rooms and its accessories in a permanent building or a structurally separated part thereof which by the way it has been built, rebuilt and converted, is intended for private habitation.
 
4.  More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
European statistics comparable to data in this news release.
 
5. For further assistance please submit your query through the online request form.
 
6. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
 
7. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
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