Home > Statistics > Building and dwelling production > 2012 > February > Cubic volume covered by granted building permits fell by good 34 per cent in February

Published: 24 April 2012

Cubic volume covered by granted building permits fell by good 34 per cent in February

In February 2012, building permits were granted for nearly two million cubic metres, which is 34.4 per cent less than one year ago. This is indicated by Statistics Finland’s preliminary data from statistics on building and dwelling production.

Granted permits and building starts, mil. m3, variable annual sum

In the release the data indicated with an asterisk (*) are preliminary data.

The cubic volume covered by permits for residential buildings fell by 15 per cent year-on-year. By contrast, the cubic volume covered by permits granted for terraced houses went down by nearly 47 per cent from one year back. The cubic volume covered by permits for detached houses decreased by 17 per cent and that for residential blocks of flats by five per cent from February 2011. Over the same period, the cubic volume covered by permits for other than residential building construction fell by 41 per cent.

The cubic volume covered by permits granted for commercial and office buildings fell most, by 64 per cent. The fall in the cubic volume in February 2012 is partly explained by a few warehouse building projects with high cubic volumes for which building permits were granted in February 2011.

The cubic volume of permits granted for industrial and warehouse buildings went down by close on 47 per cent from one year back. The cubic volumes covered by permits for public service buildings in turn increased by nearly 24 per cent from one year back.

In February 2012, building permits were granted for 1,500 new dwellings, which is 18 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

Volume of newbuilding turned to decline in February

In February 2012, the constant-price value or the volume of ongoing building production was down by 1.5 per cent year-on-year. The volume of residential building construction diminished by 2.3 per cent from February 2011.

The volume of residential building construction turned to decline in autumn 2011. The volume of detached house construction has been contracting since last spring. In February, the volume of construction of detached houses diminished by 7.7 per cent from one year back. At the same time, the volume of construction of residential blocks of flats grew by 5.6 per cent and that of terraced houses by 4.4 per cent.

The volume of construction of industrial and warehouse buildings increased by 7.0 per cent. The volume of industrial building construction grew by 5.5 per cent and that of warehouse building construction by 9.3 per cent from February 2011.

The volume of construction of commercial and office buildings went down by 7.7 per cent and that of other than residential buildings by 0.8 per cent from February 2011.

Volume index for newbuilding 2005=100, trend

Source: Building and dwelling production, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heli Suonio 09 1734 2481, Merja Järvinen 09 1734 2458

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Building permits, 1000 m3 (24.4.2012)
• Appendix table 2. Building permits monthly, 1000 m3 (24.4.2012)
• Appendix table 3. Building permits for dwellings, No. (24.4.2012)
• Appendix table 4. Building permits by region (24.4.2012)
• Appendix table 5. Volume index of newbuilding 2005=100 (24.4.2012)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Building permits granted for dwellings, variable annual sum (24.4.2012)
• Appendix figure 2. Commercial and office buildings, variable annual sum (24.4.2012)
• Appendix figure 3. Industrial buildings and warehouses, variable annual sum (24.4.2012)

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Updated 24.4.2012