In January 2026, Germany approved the construction of 19,500 new housing units. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Wednesday, this represents an 8.4 percent increase-about 1,500 more approvals-than January 2025. Of the newly approved units, 16,400 were for new construction, up 7.4 percent (1,100 units), while 3,100 units were created through the conversion of existing buildings, a 13.5 percent rise (400 units) over the same month last year.
For newly built residential buildings, a total of 16,000 apartments received approval in January 2026, which is 6.0 percent (900 units) higher than the corresponding period in the previous year. House construction approvals rose 12.6 percent, with 3,800 approvals for single‑family homes (an increase of 400). Two‑family homes saw the largest climb, with a 26.1 percent increase to 1,200 approvals. Multi‑family buildings, the most common type, received 10,500 approvals-a 7.1 percent rise (700 units) compared to the previous year. Apartment‑type housing saw a sharp decline: approvals fell 47.6 percent to 500 units from January 2025.
New non‑residential buildings received a total of 350 approval permits in January 2026-an increase of 148.6 percent (200 units). These include, for example, caretakers’ apartments within school buildings or residential units located in central urban areas above commercial spaces. In the same month, 3,100 apartments were approved for conversion projects in existing residential and non‑residential structures, up 13.5 percent (400 units) from the equivalent period in 2025.
