Overview
- The Bau‑Monitor 2026, published on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, found about 84,600 fewer homes were completed in 2025 than in 2023 and used a baseline of roughly 300,000 annual units to measure the gap.
- The study estimates the two‑year shortfall reduced construction net turnover by about €26.9 billion, shaved 0.6 percentage points off GDP, and cut tax revenues by roughly €7 billion.
- Official data show 206,600 completions in the past year and a 15.1% rise in building permits to 126,300 units in the first half of 2026, but industry groups warn the pipeline may not prevent a weaker year ahead and project only about 185,000 new apartments for 2026.
- Builders and trade groups oppose a planned €1.4 billion cut in federal housing subsidies for 2027, demand continuous public funding, and press for faster approval of the proposed 'Gebäudetyp E' rule that would let certain multi‑family buildings of up to 12 units be built without a separate permit if they follow local plans.
- The monitor estimates a nationwide shortfall of about 1.35 million apartments with large regional deficits and says the shortage is already raising rents, hindering worker mobility in strong labor markets, and risking further drag on growth and employment if construction does not recover.