BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED, MARCH 2026

A total of 958 building permits were issued in March 2026, which was 9.9% fewer than in March 2025.

The total number of building permits issued in the period from January to March 2026, as compared to the same period of 2025, decreased by 26.0%.

In March 2026:

- by types of constructions, 91.5% of permits were issued on buildings and 8.5% on civil engineering works

- by types of works, 80.8% of permits were issued on new constructions and 19.2% on reconstructions.

According to the permits issued in March 2026, there are 1 688 dwellings with an average floor area of 100.1 m² planned to be built.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Notice

The Croatian Bureau of Statistics submits quarterly data on issued building permits to Eurostat. These data are available on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics in the STS Database (database of short-term business statistics) at https://stsbaza.dzs.hr/en.

The STS Database presents data in the form of gross (unadjusted), working-day adjusted as well as seasonally and working-day adjusted absolute values.

Seasonal and working-day adjustment has been done using the X13 ARIMA method on the quarterly series of absolute values, starting with data for the first quarter of 2000.

Sources and methods of data collection

The data are collected by using the reporting method on the Monthly Report on Issued Building Permits (GRAĐ-44a form).

Coverage and comparability

The Monthly Report on Issued Building Permits is collected from the administration bodies competent for construction affairs in major cities, the City of Zagreb and counties as well as from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, which issue building permits for constructions as specified in the Building Act (NN, No. 155/25).

Data on types of constructions and works are classified according to the National Classification of Types of Constructions – NKVG (Methodological Guidelines No. 41, ISBN 953-6667-33-9, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2002).

Definitions

Constructions are structures connected with the ground, for which construction works are carried out and which are made of construction materials and ready-made components.

Buildings are permanent constructions covered with a roof and closed with outer walls. They are built as separate useful units that protect from weather and other external conditions, intended for dwelling, for performing a certain activity or for storage and upkeep of animals, goods and equipment used in various industrial activities and services, etc.

In this survey, constructions covered with a roof but without (some of the) walls, e.g., porches and underground constructions, such as underground shelters, underground garages, underground shopping centres and other business spaces (e.g. in subways), etc. are also counted as buildings.

Residential buildings are constructions in which 50% or more of the useful floor area is intended for dwelling purposes.

Non-residential buildings are constructions without dwelling areas or in which less than 50% of the overall useful floor area is used for dwelling purposes.

Floor area of a building is the sum total of the areas of all floors of a building placed inside outer walls.

Useful floor area of a dwelling is the floor area of a dwelling, measured inside the walls of the dwelling.

Volume of a building is the sum total of the volumes of all roofed spaces of a building, including outer walls.

Civil engineering works are all constructions not classified under buildings, for example, roads, railways, pipelines, bridges, dams, constructions intended for sports and recreation, etc.

New constructions are newly built structures built on a location where no structure existed or on a location previously cleared by demolition.

Reconstructions are construction works that affect the main characteristics of already existing constructions, for example, additions and extensions, conversions and other works, which may significantly improve the occupancy value of a construction (for example, capacity, quality, function) and/or prolong or at least restore its duration.

Value of works is defined according to the bill of costs submitted by an investor. It is used for defining a tax paid for the issuing of a building permit.

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
Press corner: press@dzs.hr

Persons responsible:
Milenka Primorac Čačić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Srećko Palej, Jelena Kristović-Bukovac and Marko Fijan

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