France authorized dwellings: two-and-more dwelling buildings
France authorized dwellings: two-and-more dwelling buildings stood at 10,451 Number in Aug 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Housing permits and starts table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1994 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Housing permits and starts table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of authorized dwellings - Two-and-more dwelling buildings - France excluding Mayotte | 10,451 | 17,803 | 15,485 | 12,114 | 11,548 | 22,076 | 11,501 | 12,223 | 16,143 | 10,987 | |
| Number of authorized dwellings - Residences for communities - France excluding Mayotte | 4,678 | 5,823 | 5,241 | 4,678 | 3,056 | 7,310 | 2,972 | 2,812 | 5,653 | 3,333 | |
| Number of authorized dwellings - Total - France excluding Mayotte | 25,376 | 37,293 | 33,841 | 27,412 | 25,525 | 42,333 | 25,448 | 26,524 | 33,695 | 23,936 |
Understanding france authorized dwellings: two-and-more dwelling buildings
This statistical series measures the administrative count of residential dwellings authorized within buildings designed to contain two or more separate housing units, alongside multi-family apartment complexes. It aggregates every individual apartment or housing unit approved within larger residential structures, rather than counting the physical building permits themselves. This framework excludes standalone single-family houses, whether built individually or in coordinated groups, as well as specialized communal residences such as student halls or retirement facilities. The geographic domain covers the specified national territory while omitting the designated overseas department.
Analyzing this dataset requires careful attention to the lumpiness inherent in large-scale residential approvals, where a single major multi-family project can cause dramatic spikes in monthly counts. Seasonally adjusted data helps smooth these administrative irregularities, though year-on-year comparisons of raw figures remain valuable for filtering out cyclical project bunching. Initial monthly releases are provisional and subject to upward or downward revisions as municipalities finalize administrative records. A frequent analytical error is assuming that an authorized apartment unit translates immediately into construction activity, given that high-density residential projects often face substantial pre-construction delays.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of buildings are captured within the two-and-more dwelling category?
- This category covers apartment blocks, duplexes, triplexes, and any residential structure containing multiple distinct housing units under one roof.
- Does this series count the number of buildings or the number of individual apartments?
- It counts the total number of individual residential dwellings authorized within those multi-unit structures.
- Why do monthly figures for multi-family permits often show extreme volatility?
- The authorization of a single large apartment complex can suddenly inject a high volume of units into a specific monthly report, creating artificial statistical spikes.