Overview

• In the first half of 2025, building permits reached around 110,000 units, up 2.9% from the same period in 2024.
• June approvals climbed to 19,000 units, a 7.9% increase from June 2024, marking the strongest monthly gain in the period.
• Single-family home permits surged 14.1% to 21,300 units, while multi-family approvals remained nearly unchanged at 57,300 units.
• Only about 251,900 dwellings were completed in 2024, the lowest annual total since 2015, and the average time from permit to finish has lengthened to roughly 26 months.
• Government initiatives to speed up approvals face high construction costs, tight financing and regulatory hurdles, and just 33% of Germans now cite homeownership as a savings goal.