Residential construction activity in Austria continued to decline in 2024, falling to its lowest level since 2010, according to new data from Statistics Austria.
“Residential construction activity in Austria continued to slump in 2024,” commented Statistics Austria director general Tobias Thomas. “Building permits for dwellings in new buildings fell to 32,100. This is 8.5% less than in the previous year.”
Approved dwellings
A total of 51,473 dwellings were approved overall in Austria last year, including those resulting from extensions, additions, and conversions to existing buildings.
Of these, 44% were in new residential buildings with three or more dwellings, 18% were in new residential buildings with one or two dwellings, and 0.5% were in new, non-residential buildings. Elsewhere, 38% of new building permits related to additions, extensions, and conversions.
Comparing the 2024 data to that of a decade earlier, the number of dwellings approved for new construction has fallen significantly, according to Statistics Austria, by around 37%.
In 2014, approximately 50,600 dwellings were approved for construction in new buildings, it noted, with this number increasing steadily to reach a peak of around 72,500 dwellings in 2017.
The year 2018 saw a slight decrease, with 2019 seeing a temporary rise, before the number of approvals started to decrease – in 2023, it stood at 35,100 dwellings, while in 2024, 32,100 dwellings.
Private builders
Private builders accounted for around three quarters of the approved buildings, with 1% attributable to the public sector, 4% to non-profit housing associations and 22% to other legal entities. Most private builders sought approval for one- or two-family houses.
The data also indicates a close link between the residence of private builders and the location of their construction projects, with Vienna the exception – just 43% of private builders living in Vienna planned construction projects within the city, compared to 88% in Salzburg and 99% in Carinthia and Vorarlberg. Read more here.
