The number of buildings licensed in Portugal increased by 8.2% and the completed buildings decreased by 7.5% in 2024 compared to 2023, totaling 25.4 thousand and 16.0 thousand, respectively, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
By 2023, these variations had been -6.1% and +1.1%, respectively.
In an analysis by regions, it appears that in 2024, the North concentrated 37.8% of the total licensed buildings, 45.5% of fires licensed in new buildings for family housing and 38.2% of the total licensed area in Portugal.
Together with the Center, these two regions concentrated 56.8% of licensed buildings, 60.2% of licensed fireworks in new family housing and 53.9% of the total licensed area in the country.
In turn, the region of Greater Lisbon stood out with 11.6% of licensed buildings, 12.3% of licensed fireworks in new family housing and 22.2% of the total licensed area.
In the North there were also 37.7% of the buildings completed, 43.7% of fires in new buildings for family housing and 42.7% of the area completed by 2024.
North and Center, together, accounted for 56.0% of the buildings completed, 58.4% of the fires completed in new buildings for family housing and 59.3% of the total area completed.
In Greater Lisbon, the concluded buildings corresponded to 11.0% of the national total, while the fires and the area completed in the region represented both 11.6%.
Considering only the fourth quarter of 2024, 6.8 thousand buildings were licensed, representing a 23.2% homologous increase and an intensification of growth of 19.3% in the third quarter.
The licensing of buildings for new buildings registered a 26.4% rise (+20.4% in the third quarter of 2024), while rehabilitation licensing increased by 15.9%, after a growth of 15.2% in the previous quarter.
From October to November, the number of completed buildings registered a homologous reduction of 3.6%, attenuating the decrease of 6.7% in the previous quarter and totaling 4.0 thousand buildings.
In the family housing segment, the number of fires licensed in new buildings increased by 22.0% in the fourth quarter of 2024, reinforcing the 12.6% growth observed in the previous quarter. The number of fires completed grew 11.8%, after a decrease of 1.3% in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, all regions registered homologous climbs in the number of licensed buildings, with the center region (+12.1%) to be the only one to have a growth of less than 20.0%.
The largest variations, both above 30.0%, were found in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (+31.7%) and the Setúbal Peninsula (+30.5%).
As for the concluded buildings, only three regions registered increases in the number of buildings: Greater Lisbon (+17.2%) Alentejo (+8.7%) and West and Tagus Valley (+6.7%).
The other regions presented decreases, especially the largest reductions in the Algarve (-21.3%) and in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (-17.1%).
In jail, compared to the previous quarter, the number of licensed buildings increased 3.3% in the last three months last year, while the number of completed buildings has a growth of 1.6%
Already taking stock of the last decade, INE states that the number of licensed buildings increased by about 10,000, from 15,300 in 2015 to 25,400 in 2024, which represents a growth of 65.5%.
In the first quinquenium (2015-2019), there were positive annual variations from 2016, with “significant accumulated growth”, driven mainly by increases of 12.1% in 2016, 12.0% in 2017 and 19.4% in 2018.
In the second five-year period (2020-2024), after a contraction of 3.3% in 2020, there was a recovery, highlighting the maximum of the decade in 2021 (26.1 thousand buildings, +10.4%).
The following years registered oscillations, with descents in 2022 (-4.4%) and 2023 (-6.1%), followed by a growth of 8.2%in 2024, driven by the second half of the year.
In the whole of this second quinquenium, the number of licensed buildings was 24.5% higher than the period of 2015-44 (+24.3 thousand buildings), notes, “confirming an expansion of licensing activity”.
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