The number of building permits issued in Belgium dropped by 11.15% in 2023.
Belgium issued 25,477 permits in 2023 compared to 28,674 in 2022, according to figures released by statistical office Statbel. The current rate is down again from 2021, which saw a particularly high number of permits granted (31,768). All three regions have been similarly affected by the recent decline.
In Flanders, there were 19,035 permits granted, down from 21,402 in 2022. Wallonia saw 6,312 permits issued in comparison with 7,126 the previous year. In Brussels, 129 permits were issued, down from 143 in 2022.
The drop can be attributed in part to rising interest rates, which have made property development considerably more expensive, higher costs for materials in the context of inflation, and administrative delays to the permit application process.
Credit: Statbel
The number of permits issued for the renovation of residential buildings has overtaken residential construction permits since 2007. This trend reversed slightly between 2018 and 2019 but peaked again in late 2021 and early 2022. However, Statbel noted that, "in recent months, the two trends have been virtually on par."
Data from 2003 shows that the construction of new apartments is more popular than the building of family homes, with a "marked difference" since 2019.
