New real estate: building permits rebound in February

In France, the level of building permits for new housing in February "is close to the average of the last twelve months. The increase in February is explained by an increase in collective housing, while individual housing is stable", observes the Data and Statistical Studies Service (SDES) of the government, which corrects its monthly data for seasonal variations and working days.

In detail, among the building permits granted, 12.470 concern individual houses, a stable volume over a month, while 20.681 concern collective housing, an increase of 5,3%.

Over a longer period, the momentum of new construction in France remains sluggish. "From March 2025 to February 2026, 387.944 housing units were authorized for construction, 5,1% less than the average of the previous five years," according to the SDES.

As for housing starts, a key indicator of activity in the building sector, 27.158 housing projects were launched in February, a decline of 1,6% compared to January.

Over twelve months, the trend remains clearly downward: 283.007 housing units were started, a level 17,7% lower than the average of the last five years.

The Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing specifies, however, that this data remains provisional, due to a still partial collection rate.

The SDES also indicates that it revised its methodology at the start of the academic year, resulting in significant monthly revisions to previous data. Thus, in January, the decline in building permits for housing was limited to 1,5% month-on-month, compared to the initially estimated 6% decrease. Conversely, housing starts slowed more than expected, with a 3,1% drop in January, compared to the previously announced 1,8% decrease.

More broadly, the new housing and construction market in France has been experiencing a deep crisis for the past three years. The sector is suffering in particular from rising construction costs and increasing interest rates, which are hindering households' home purchase plans.

Added to this is the gradual end of support schemes for rental investment, in particular the Pinel tax scheme in 2025, which has contributed to diverting some individual investors from the new real estate market.

This level "is close to the average of the last twelve months. The increase in February is explained by an increase in collective housing, while individual housing is stable," observes the Data and Statistical Studies Service (SDES) of the government, which corrects its monthly data for seasonal variations and working days.

Of the permits granted, 12.470 concern individual houses (stable over a month) and 20.681 collective housing units (+5,3%).

"From March 2025 to February 2026, 387.944 housing units were authorized for construction, which is 5,1% less than the average of the previous five years," according to the SDES.

In terms of housing starts, 27.158 housing construction sites opened in February, down 1,6% compared to January.

Over the past twelve months, 283.007 housing units have been started, which is 17,7% below the average of the previous five years.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.