The October release
On 9 October 2026, Istat released its building-permit figures for the second quarter. For new residential buildings, authorised dwellings were up 8% from Q2 2025, while useful floor area rose 7.3%.
After seasonal adjustment, the estimates were 13,246 dwellings and just under 1.15 million square metres of useful floor area. The quarter-on-quarter comparison was also positive: +3.8% for dwellings and +1.4% for floor area.
A rebound, not yet a turning point
Istat notes that the quarterly improvement was not enough to recover the decline in the first quarter, when both dwellings and useful floor area fell compared with the previous three months. The picture is a partial recovery, not uninterrupted growth.
For buyers, that distinction matters: a permit is an early indicator of building activity, not a completed home, a property listing or a promise about delivery dates.
What the statistic measures
The survey covers authorised new buildings and extensions that increase volume; it does not include, among other things, work on existing buildings that does not add volume. It therefore does not capture all renovation or upgrading of Italy’s existing housing stock.
Nor does the national figure show where projects will be concentrated or how many homes will actually be completed. Istat notes that estimates may be revised, so it is best treated as a signal, not a local forecast.
How to use it in your search
International buyers can use the figure as broad context, then check supply in the municipality and neighbourhood they are considering. Projects actually under construction, available homes and the building’s characteristics are more directly relevant to a purchase decision.
In Puglia, as elsewhere, a national statistic cannot replace local research. Before relying on a new-build project, seek current information about that specific development and have its documents reviewed by professionals you appoint.