Construction in 2026 in numbers: permits, material costs, housing prices
Permits for new buildings are slightly above last year, renovations well above, materials are getting dearer faster than last year and apartment prices are rising more slowly. The figures from the official sources, on one page.
At a glance
| Indicator | Latest figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Building permits (all buildings), July 2026 | 2,873 (−8.3%) | ELSTAT (Hellenic Statistical Authority) |
| Building permits, 12 months Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 | 31,446 (+7.9%) | ELSTAT |
| New apartment buildings, 1 January – 27 October 2026 | 912 (+20%) | TEE / Diavgeia |
| Small-scale building works, 1 January – 27 October 2026 | 101,671 (+26%) | TEE / Diavgeia |
| Prices of materials for new homes, July 2026 | +4.8% | ELSTAT |
| Apartment prices, second quarter of 2026 | +5.5% | Bank of Greece |
Changes are compared with the same period of the previous year.
1. Permits: what ELSTAT counts and what we count
ELSTAT recorded 2,873 building permits across the country in July 2026, 8.3% fewer than in July 2025, with 15.0% less floor area and 24.3% less volume. In the 12 months from August 2025 to July 2026, permits numbered 31,446, 7.9% more than in the previous 12 months, with 10.6% more floor area (ELSTAT release of 27 October 2026, via FORMedia). For the whole of 2025 ELSTAT counted 30,199 permits, 2.6% fewer than in 2024 (newmoney).
In the acts of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) on Diavgeia, July 2026 saw 2,033 acts titled "building permit" (2,157 in July 2025, −6%) and 97 new apartment buildings (113 last year, −14%). The two figures are not directly comparable: ELSTAT has its own survey and definitions, while we count the acts as they are posted. The direction, however, is the same: July 2026 was weaker than July 2025, after a very strong June (3,118 permits, +21.5% according to ELSTAT, ACCI).
2. All TEE acts this year
From 1 January to 27 October, compared with the same period of 2025:
| Type of act | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small-scale building works approvals | 101,671 | 80,787 | +26% |
| Revisions and updates of permits | 27,274 | 27,000 | +1% |
| Building permits (all buildings) | 16,676 | 16,038 | +4% |
| Pre-approvals | 5,999 | 5,893 | +2% |
| Works execution approvals | 4,125 | 3,836 | +8% |
| Demolitions | 1,914 | 1,957 | −2% |
| All acts | 159,500 | 137,302 | +16% |
The 2026 increase comes almost entirely from small-scale works, and of those mainly from external insulation (43,237 this year against 25,934 last year). We explain what this means in the article on Exoikonomo (the subsidy programme for home energy upgrades). Permits for new buildings are rising more slowly (+4%), while new apartment buildings are rising more (+20%), because 2025 was low after the Council of State ruling on the NOK (the New Building Regulation).
3. Construction costs: materials are getting dearer faster
ELSTAT's Construction Materials Price Index for New Residential Buildings was 4.8% higher in July 2026 than in July 2025, while a year earlier the annual increase was 2.9%. The biggest increases were in diesel (+17.7%), bricks (+11.6%), copper pipes (+10.0%) and ready-mixed concrete (+6.2%) (ELSTAT, release of 25 August 2026).
The general construction cost index, which also includes labour pay, was 2.8% higher in the first quarter of 2026 than a year earlier: materials +2.6%, labour +3% (newmoney, 7 May 2026).
For crews and suppliers: bids given a year ago for projects starting now most likely have a smaller margin. For long projects, a price-adjustment clause for materials is worth discussing.
4. Housing prices: rising, more slowly
According to the Bank of Greece, apartment prices in the second quarter of 2026 were 5.5% higher than a year earlier. New apartments (up to 5 years old) rose 6.2% and old ones 5.0%. In Athens the increase was 5.0% and in Thessaloniki 4.7%. For the whole of 2025 the average increase was 8.3% and in 2024 9.1% (Bank of Greece, 15 September 2026, provisional data).
In other words: selling prices are rising slightly faster than material costs, but the gap is narrowing compared with 2024 and 2025.
5. VAT and programmes
- VAT on newly built homes: the suspension of the 24% VAT on sales of new buildings applies until 31 December 2026 (ot.gr). At the Thessaloniki International Fair in September 2026 the government announced an extension for 2027–2030. So far we have not found an enacted provision; we will update this when one is passed.
- "Spiti mou II" ("My Home II"): eligibility ended on 31 May 2026 and approved loans could be signed until 31 August 2026. 14,157 loans had been approved (lawspot). At the 2026 Fair, "Spiti mou III" was announced for early 2027.
- Renovations: "Anakainizo 2026" ("I Renovate 2026"; €500 million, for homes built up to 1990 and up to 120 m²) opened an eligibility platform on 15 June 2026 (newmoney). If it goes ahead, it will show up in the small-scale works approvals for interior works.
How we count
The TEE figures are the acts of the building services (YDOM) on Diavgeia, with issue dates up to 27 October 2026 (as they stood on 29 October 2026), and the comparison is with the same period of 2025. New apartment buildings: buildings with at least 4 levels and dwellings on at least 2 floors, on the date of the first permit. The ELSTAT and Bank of Greece figures are as they published them, in the releases we cite.