The Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) reported on Friday a 1.9% decline in the number of building permits issued in March 2025 compared to the same month last year. In March 2025, 572 building permits were granted, down from 583 in March 2024.

However, the total value of these permits rose to €361.5 million, with the authorized construction area reaching 296,900 square meters. These permits account for the construction of 1,480 dwelling units.

During the first quarter of 2025 (January to March), 1,580 building permits were issued, representing a 15.8% decrease from 1,876 permits in the same period of the previous year. Despite the drop in permit numbers, the total value of permits increased by 21.7%, and the authorized construction area grew by 15.6%. The number of dwelling units expected to be built also rose by 16.7% in this period.

Since July 1, 2024, the responsibility for issuing building permits shifted from municipalities and district offices to the new local government organisations (EOAs). The permitting process is now managed via the integrated information system called Ippodamos.

Cystat explained that Ippodamos collects essential data on residential and non-residential buildings, as well as other construction activities like civil engineering projects, plot divisions, and roadworks, categorized by district and urban or rural areas.

Data gathered includes the number of permits issued, project area and value, and expected dwelling units. The EU Classification of Types of Construction (CC) is used to classify the projects.

The data cover all authorized building permits, including those for demolitions and reissued permits, but exclude permit renewals and permits for building divisions.