August 4 (BTA) - In the second quarter of 2021, local administrations issued construction permits for: 1,745 residential buildings comprising a total of 9,952 housing units with a gross floor area of 1,181,550 square metres; 26 administrative/office buildings with a gross floor area of 44,889 sq m; and 1,214 other buildings with a gross floor area of 448,862 sq m, the National Statistical Institute reported on Wednesday.

Compared with the first quarter of 2021, construction permits issued for new residential buildings in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 12.9 per cent, the housing units in them increased by 13.4 per cent, and the gross floor area expanded by 14.9 per cent. Construction permits for administrative/office buildings decreased by 7.1 per cent and their gross floor area shrank by 51.8 per cent. Construction permits for other buildings increased by 8.7 per cent but their gross floor area shrank by 22.6 per cent.

Compared with the second quarter of 2020, construction permits for new residential buildings went up by 28.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2021, the housing units in those buildings increased by 67.9 per cent, and their gross floor area expanded by 43.5 per cent. Construction permits for administrative/office buildings went down by 16.1 per cent but the gross floor area of those buildings expanded by 144.9 per cent. Construction permits for other buildings increased by 29.8 per cent and the gross floor area of those buildings increased by 5 per cent.

In the second quarter of 2021, the largest number of construction permits for new residential buildings were issued in Sofia City (269), Plovdiv Region (243) and Sofia Region (204). The largest number of housing units in those buildings were reported in Sofia City (5,367), Plovdiv Region (1,056) and Varna Region (665).

The second quarter of 2021 saw the beginning of construction of: 1,410 residential buildings with 5,993 housing units in them and 784,124 sq m of gross floor area; 21 administrative/office buildings with a gross floor area of 19,915 sq m; and 642 other buildings with a gross floor area of 419,529 sq m.

Compared with the first quarter of 2021, residential buildings which went under construction in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 41.3 per cent, the housing units in them increased by 13.1 per cent, and their gross floor area expanded by 18.7 per cent. The number of administrative/office buildings which went under construction doubled, and their gross floor area expanded nearly fourfold. Other types of buildings which went under construction in the reporting period went up by 11.5 per cent, and their gross floor area expanded by 20.8 per cent

Compared with the second quarter of 2020, residential buildings whose construction began in the second quarter of 2021 went up by 44 per cent, the housing units in them increased by 25.7 per cent, and their gross floor area expanded by 26 per cent. The number of administrative/office buildings whose construction began in the quarter under review remained unchanged from a year earlier but their gross floor area decreased by 25.8 per cent. Other buildings whose construction began in the second quarter of 2021 increased by 9.9 per cent year on year, and their gross floor area expanded by 42.7 per cent.

Construction of the largest number of new buildings began in Sofia City (260 residential, 8 administrative, and 34 other), Plovdiv Region (231/3/65), and Sofia Region (148 residential and 41 other). RI/VE
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