News Releases

Residential Building Permits: Q4/2025

NR 026/2026
Release Date: 19 February 2026
Cut-off Date: 31 December 2025

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  • During the last quarter of 2025, 597 building permits for a total of 3,487 new dwellings were approved.
  • When compared to the same quarter of 2024, the number of approved new dwellings increased by 54.4 per cent.
  • The number of new dwellings approved in Malta increased by 53.6 per cent, while those in Gozo and Comino went up by 59.1 per cent when compared to Q4 2024.
  • Apartments made up 71.8 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings.
  • The highest number of approved new dwellings (263) was registered in Santa Venera.

Residential Building Permits: Q4/2025

Residential Building Permits: Q4/2025

NR 026/2026
Release Date: 19 February 2026
Cut-off Date: 31 December 2025

During the last quarter of 2025, a total of 3,487 new dwellings were approved, registering an increase of 54.4 per cent when compared to the same quarter of 2024.
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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 last quarter of 2025, 597 building permits for a total of 3,487 new dwellings were approved (Map 1 and Chart 1). When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2024, the number of building permits and approved new dwellings increased by 52.3 per cent and 54.4 per cent, respectively. The average number of approved new dwellings per building permit stood at 5.8 (Chart 1).

Map 1. Number of approved new dwellings by locality (LAU 2): Q4/2025

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

Approved new dwellings by type

The majority of new dwellings approved during the last quarter of 2025 were apartments (2,505), followed by penthouses (551), maisonettes (291), terraced houses (98) and other residential units1 (42) (Table 1). Apartments accounted for 71.8 per cent of the total number of approved new dwellings (Chart 2).

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

Pie Chart with Centred Text

Approved new dwellings by district

When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2024, the number of new dwellings approved in Malta increased by 53.6 per cent, while those in Gozo and Comino went up by 59.1 per cent. The highest number of approved new dwellings was registered in the Northern Harbour district (1,276), while the lowest number was recorded in the Western district (196) (Table 2).

Approved new dwellings by locality

The highest number of approved new dwellings was issued for Santa Venera (263). This was followed by Ħal Qormi (197), Birkirkara (188), San Ġiljan (180) and Il-Mosta (157) (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).

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. The data contained in this release is subject to revision.
 
5. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
European statistics comparable to data in this news release.
 
6. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.
 
7. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
 
8. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
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