New construction is growing in Catalonia, but not to provide housing. In the first six months of the year, the College of Architects of Catalonia (Coac) has issued permits to build or extensively renovate 2.41 million square meters in Catalonia, a 13.46% increase compared to the same period last year. However, although housing is what the ongoing constructions will be predominantly for (almost 1.6 million m², 66% of the total), the increase in actions has been concentrated in other uses – which have grown by 54.24% compared to 2025 – while it has stagnated for housing – an area where it has increased by 0.54%–. In fact, architects have approved 2.59% fewer new construction and renovation homes, down to 7,897: that is, Catalonia is making fewer apartments available than a year ago, but, on the one hand, they are larger, and, on the other hand, renovations are keeping the surface area with ongoing actions for housing stable.

The construction sector has not recovered its pre-pandemic levels. The Architects' Association of Catalonia confirms it in the report of the work visas presented this Thursday. The whole of the area approved in Catalonia continues to fall. The little more than two million square meters approved are 1.5% less than the first half of last year and 15% less than the first quarter of 2019, before the pandemic, when almost 2.4 million square meters were approved.