New apartment buildings 2026: 908 building permits up to October
From 1 January to 23 October 2026, the first building permit was issued for 908 new apartment buildings across Greece. In the same period of 2025 the figure was 755. See where they are being built, how large they are and how each month went.
The key figures
- 908 new apartment buildings with a first building permit in 2026 (to 23 October), against 755 in the same period of 2025: +20%.
- In the whole of 2025, 993 had been issued.
- 541,678 m² total built area (537,841 m² in the same period last year). More buildings, but fewer very large ones: the average apartment building fell from 712 to 597 m², while the median stayed almost the same (465 m² against 463).
- 6,202 parking spaces (4,688 last year).
- New apartment buildings in 117 municipalities (108 last year).
- In 54% of the projects a company is among the owners of the project (490 of 908).
By month
| Month | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 35 | 73 |
| February | 44 | 88 |
| March | 49 | 123 |
| April | 85 | 85 |
| May | 85 | 104 |
| June | 108 | 101 |
| July | 113 | 97 |
| August | 68 | 64 |
| September | 85 | 99 |
| October | 105 | 74 (to 23 October) |
| November | 108 | – |
| December | 108 | – |
Almost all of the rise in 2026 came in the first quarter. From April onwards the two years run almost together, at around 100 new apartment buildings a month, with the expected dip in August.
The reason is that the first quarter of 2025 was unusually weak. After the Council of State ruling on the building "bonuses" of the NOK (the New Building Regulation) in December 2024, the building services approved only permits without them, and many projects froze (Parapolitika). Without this effect, the picture for 2026 is a steady market, not a boom.
By region
| Region | 2026 | 2025 | Share 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attica | 531 | 417 | 58% |
| Central Macedonia | 101 | 89 | 11% |
| Thessaly | 74 | 81 | 8% |
| East Macedonia and Thrace | 60 | 57 | 7% |
| Western Greece | 47 | 33 | 5% |
| Peloponnese | 36 | 27 | 4% |
| Crete | 28 | 16 | 3% |
| Central Greece | 12 | 4 | 1% |
| Epirus | 10 | 18 | 1% |
| Western Macedonia | 7 | 8 | 1% |
| North Aegean | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| Ionian Islands | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| South Aegean | 0 | 3 | 0% |
Same period each year: 1 January to 23 October.
Attica took the biggest part of the rise (+114 apartment buildings) and rose to 58% of the country. The Thessaloniki regional unit had 70 new apartment buildings, against 65 last year.
The municipalities with the most new apartment buildings
| Municipality | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | 79 | 51 |
| Glyfada | 35 | 27 |
| Patras | 35 | 26 |
| Larissa | 33 | 37 |
| Volos | 30 | 26 |
| Piraeus | 28 | 30 |
| Ilioupoli | 24 | 7 |
| Peristeri | 23 | 21 |
| Alexandroupoli | 22 | 24 |
| Kalamata | 22 | 15 |
| Kallithea | 22 | 23 |
The ranking of the top 34 municipalities is in the article the cities with the most building permits in 2026.
How tall they are built
| Levels | 2026 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 306 | 34% |
| 5 | 239 | 26% |
| 6 | 193 | 21% |
| 7 | 97 | 11% |
| 8 | 59 | 6% |
| 9 or more | 14 | 2% |
Levels count all floors together with the ground floor or pilotis (an open ground level on columns). The distribution is almost the same as in 2025: six in ten new apartment buildings have 4 or 5 levels.
What it means for people working in construction
Around 100 new apartment buildings a month means a steady flow of projects for every trade: from excavation and concrete to windows and doors, electrical work, lifts and painting. What matters is to know which projects are in your area and when they received their permit, so you can make your offer at the right moment. See how in the guide for crews and suppliers.
How we count
We count only new apartment buildings: buildings with at least 4 levels and dwellings on at least 2 floors. Each project counts once, on the date of the first building permit. Revisions, updates and pre-approvals do not count as a new permit.
Source: the acts of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) (e-Adeies system) on Diavgeia, to 23 October 2026. ELSTAT's figures (the Hellenic Statistical Authority) count all permits (including detached houses, extensions and so on), so they are not directly comparable. A permit does not mean that the works have started.