In the first three quarters of 2021, 5,044 dwellings were taken into use in Budapest, more than double the number in the same period of the previous year. At the same time, 37% fewer dwellings were handed over in county towns, 16% fewer in other towns and 29% fewer in villages than a year earlier.

In line with the increase in the capital's share, the share of dwellings built by natural persons fell from 44% to 32%, while the share built by businesses rose from 55% to 67% compared to Q1-Q3 2020.

Some 38% of the new dwellings put into use in residential buildings are in detached houses, 57% in multi-dwelling buildings, and 2.5% in resident’s parks. The number of new detached houses is a quarter down on the previous period, while the number of dwellings built in multi-dwelling buildings is 29% higher.

The average floor area of dwellings put into use decreased by 8.5 sqm to 87 sqm compared to the first three quarters of 2020, which is linked to a shift in the composition of housing construction towards multi-dwelling buildings.

The share of dwellings built for sale reached 67%, while the share of dwellings built for owner-occupation reached 30%, the latter share being 12 percentage points lower than in the same period of the previous year.

Number of building permits in the countryside increase

At the national level, the number of dwellings to be built on the basis of construction permits and declarations was 22,430.

Different regional trends can also be observed for building permits, with a decrease in the capital and a strong increase in other municipalities in the country, KSH notes. In the capital, 23% fewer permits were issued, while 43% more permits were granted in county towns, 57% more in other towns, and 60% more in villages than in the same period of the previous year.

Builders made use of the simple declaration option in 66% of cases.

Based on the number of construction permits issued, the number of dwellings to be built decreased only in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, compared to the first three quarters of 2020. Three counties have seen an increase of over 100%, Tolna (210%), Somogy (147%), and Hajdú-Bihar (115%).

Compared to the same period in 2020, the number of new construction permits issued in the country is up 48%, with a total of 12,537 residential buildings planned. The total number of planned non-residential buildings nationwide is 3,682, 31% more than in Q1-3 2020.