Germany non-residential building permit index, unadjusted
Germany non-residential building permit index, unadjusted stood at 69.2 in Q2 2026, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the Property market (quarterly) table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2010 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Property market (quarterly) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Economic Indicators | |||||||||||
| Building permit index - floor space, total (including construction work on existing buildings) - non-residential buildings (including office and administrative buildings as well as wholesale and retail buildings and warehouses), unadjusted… | 69.2 | 93.8 | 85 | 100.3 | 89.6 | 108 | 91.8 | 97.4 | 111.3 | 119.2 | |
| Building permit index - floor space, total (including construction work on existing buildings) - non-residential buildings (including office and administrative buildings), unadjusted figures | 95.5 | 133 | 125.5 | 107 | 115.1 | 130.3 | 118.7 | 128.4 | 122.8 | 190.4 |
Understanding germany non-residential building permit index, unadjusted
Summing the legally approved floor space for all forms of non-domestic construction, this series captures the earliest administrative stage of commercial real estate development. The metric aggregates authorizations for offices, administrative structures, wholesale distribution centers, retail buildings, and warehouses into a single unified measure. It explicitly includes construction work designed to extend or alter existing buildings, alongside entirely new ground-up developments. By encompassing the entire non-residential spectrum, it serves as the broadest pipeline indicator for private and public sector structural investment before actual ground is broken.
Published as an unadjusted index with a 2010 base, the raw data is completely exposed to administrative and meteorological seasonality. Municipal planning departments clear application backlogs unevenly, creating artificial volatility that has no direct correlation with underlying economic demand. Furthermore, the inclusion of massive, singular logistical or industrial projects can heavily distort a specific quarter. Consequently, relying on quarter-on-quarter comparisons yields mathematically erratic signals. Analysts generally apply their own seasonal adjustment techniques or rely strictly on year-on-year calculations. Users must also remember that an approved permit does not guarantee construction; economic shocks frequently cause developers to abandon approved floor space entirely.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this index measure the financial value of the construction?
- No, the unit of measurement is strictly the physical floor space authorized, regardless of the materials or expected monetary value of the project.
- Are public sector buildings like schools and hospitals included?
- The aggregate non-residential category covers public administrative and institutional buildings alongside private commercial real estate developments.
- Why might permit indices move independently of actual construction?
- Developers may secure permits to lock in favorable zoning conditions but delay actual building due to altered financing costs or material shortages.