New housing: building permits fall by 19% in April 2026

This decrease comes after a particularly dynamic month of March, during which 43.144 permits were granted, an increase of 29,3%. Over the course of a month, the decline thus reached 29,5%.

Building permits down despite a dynamic start to the year

Between May 2025 and April 2026, the total number of building permits issued was 384.539 housing units. This figure remains 5,5% lower than the average observed over the previous five years.

The Data and Statistical Studies Service (SDES) points out that the decrease recorded in April is mainly due to a decline in permits for multi-family housing. The data presented are adjusted for seasonal variations and working days.

Despite this one-off contraction, the first four months of the year show an average monthly level of permits 8,4% higher than that observed over the same period in 2025.

Sharp decline in permits for multi-family housing

In detail, permits for individual housing units fell by 6,3% compared to March, reaching 12.306 units.

The decline is significantly more pronounced in the multi-family housing sector. Permits fell by 40,4% in April to 16.673 units.

"This decrease offsets the sharp increase of the previous month, with a very marked drop in authorizations for both residential and ordinary collective housing," according to the SDES.

Housing starts are also trending downwards

The number of housing units started, an indicator which generally follows the evolution of building permits with a lag of several months, also declined in April.

In total, 27.756 housing units were started, representing a decrease of 10,4% compared to March.

This development is also explained by a sharp decline in the number of collective housing starts, after an increase of 21,6% recorded in March.

Over the first four months of the year, the average monthly level of housing starts remains 27,1% higher than that observed in the same period in 2025.

Between May 2025 and April 2026, 290.841 housing units were started. This level remains 14,9% below the average of the previous five years.

The new construction sector remains under pressure

While the government has set itself the objective of creating 2 million homes by 2030, or 400.000 homes per year, new construction continues to suffer the effects of a lasting crisis.

For the past three years, the sector has faced rising construction costs and increasing interest rates, two factors that have significantly hampered household property acquisition plans and weighed on the production of new housing.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.