New dwelling approvals surge by 110.3% in Q3 2025

New data published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) shows that a total of 3,668 new dwellings were approved during the third quarter of 2025, marking one of the sharpest year-on-year increases recorded in recent years.

The number of approved building permits also rose significantly, up by 60.3 per cent to 593 permits. The average number of dwellings per permit stood at 6.2, reflecting the predominance of multi-unit developments.

Apartments remained the dominant residential type, making up 73.5 per cent of all approved dwellings. In total, the third quarter saw approvals for:

• 2,696 apartments
• 526 penthouses
• 310 maisonettes
• 96 terraced houses
• 40 other units, including villas, farmhouses, and bungalows

All dwelling types – except terraced houses – registered a double- or triple-digit increase compared to Q3 2024, with maisonettes rising by 102.6 per cent and apartments by 124.9 per cent.

Approvals in Malta increased by 122.9 per cent, significantly outpacing the 56.1 per cent rise observed in Gozo and Comino.

At district level, the strongest growth was recorded in:

• Northern district: +233.6 per cent
• South Eastern district: +210.6 per cent
• Northern Harbour district: +78.9 per cent

The Western district recorded the lowest number of new approvals at 260.

San Pawl il-Baħar once again registered the highest number of approvals, with 449 new dwellings. Other localities with significant activity included:

• Birżebbuġa – 291
• Marsaskala – 285
• Mosta – 149
• Għajnsielem and Comino – 143

These were followed by localities such as Msida (135), Pietà (134), and Birkirkara (115).