In April 2025, Romanian authorities issued 3,140 construction permits for residential buildings, marking a modest 1.5% increase compared to March 2025, the National Institute of Statistics data showed. However, the year-on-year comparison paints a bleaker picture: a 12.2% decline from April 2024. The total useful floor area authorized in April stood at 659,764 square meters, down 7.3% from the previous month and 23.7% lower than the same month last year.
Approximately 70.1% of the permits were issued for projects in rural areas. Regionally, monthly growth was concentrated in the North-West (+67 permits), West (+26), North-East (+20), South-East (+19), and South-Muntenia (+16). In contrast, notable monthly declines were seen in South-West Oltenia (-68), Bucharest-Ilfov (-30), and the Centre (-5) region.
Permits for non-residential buildings in April totaled 507, down 6.8% month-on-month. Despite this drop, the useful floor area rose by 13.6% to 272,824 square meters, driven by gains in the West, North-West, Centre, and South-West Oltenia regions.
Annual trends show deeper slowdown in residential sector
Compared to April 2024, the residential construction segment experienced a sharp contraction in both volume and space. The number of permits decreased by 438 units (-12.2%), with the North-East (-141), South-Muntenia (-100), Centre (-80), Bucharest-Ilfov (-55), and West (-38) regions among the most affected. Only the South-East region registered a marginal improvement with +19 permits.
Year-on-year data for non-residential buildings also revealed a significant slowdown. April 2025 saw a 15.4% drop in permits and a dramatic 55.1% plunge in useful floor area. The Bucharest-Ilfov region alone accounted for a 263,703 sq m loss, followed by sharp declines in the North-East, North-West, Centre, and South-West Oltenia regions. Slight gains were observed in the West, South-Muntenia, and South-East.
Over the first four months of 2025 (1.I–30.IV), a total of 10,770 residential permits were issued, reflecting a 2.1% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Drops were led by the North-East (-266), South-Muntenia (-96), and Bucharest-Ilfov (-44) regions. On the upside, the West (+117), Centre (+24), and South-West Oltenia (+14) regions posted minor gains.
Despite the current slowdown, there is a glimmer of optimism on the horizon. Developers plan to bring around 32,000 new apartments to the Bucharest housing market by the end of 2028, signaling long-term confidence in Romania’s residential sector.