Buildings Granted Municipal Licensing Up 0.9% in Q3 2021

December 15, 2021 – Ana Custódio

Portugal’s northern and central regions continued to stand out regarding the number of completed buildings.

According to the National Statistics Institute, 6,000 buildings were licensed in Q3 2021, up 0.9% compared to the same quarter last year (vs +29.5% in Q2 2021) and up 3.1% in Q3 2019.

The number of buildings licensed for new construction increased by 3.8% (vs +30.2% in the 2nd quarter of 2021) and were up 8.1% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2019. According to the INE’s analysis, licensing for renovations fell by 6.3% (vs +26.3% in the 2nd quarter of 2021), corresponding to a decrease of 9.8% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2019. The number of completed buildings rose by 5.5% (vs +3.3% in the 2nd quarter of 2021), 7.8% more than in the 3rd quarter of 2019, totalling 3,900 buildings.

Portugal’s national statistical agency also reported that the number of licensed buildings decreased by 8.9% q-o-q (-0.5% in Q2 2021), and the number of completed buildings grew by 4.1% (-0.4% in Q2 2021).

Translation: Richard D K Turner