Housing starts: France
Housing starts: France stood at 258.86 thousands in 2025, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Housing stock and social housing table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1980 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Housing stock and social housing table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural housing indicators (ECB) | |||||||||||
| Housing starts | 258.86 | 257.66 | 296.94 | 391.74 | 415.2 | 372.36 | 382.72 | 400.44 | 434.1 | 369.4 | |
| Residential property transactions | 952 | 845 | 932 | 1,166 | 1,230 | 1,040 | 1,087 | 982 | 971 | 850 |
Understanding housing starts: France
The early pulse of residential construction activity is quantified by this metric, registering the exact count of new building projects on which physical construction has officially commenced. The calculation includes single-family houses and multi-dwelling apartment blocks at the moment ground is broken, but excludes pre-construction permitting paperwork and post-completion renovations. Industrial structures and commercial office spaces are likewise omitted to isolate residential supply additions.
Analyzing this series demands close attention to weather-related seasonality, as heavy rainfall or winter conditions frequently suppress groundbreakings regardless of underlying demand. Preliminary estimates undergo regular revisions as municipal authorities process delayed notification filings from construction sites. Year-on-year comparisons provide a clearer picture of sector momentum than month-to-month figures, which are prone to volatility caused by administrative backlogs.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this count building permits or actual construction?
- It counts actual construction projects that have officially broken ground.
- Why are monthly figures considered volatile?
- Administrative reporting delays and weather disruptions often distort short-term monthly counts.
- Are commercial office buildings included in the tally?
- No, the series is restricted strictly to residential building starts.