Construction spikes on islands in 2023

Island municipalities issued the largest number of new building permits in 2023, with the top five comprising Lefkada and Zakynthos in the Ionian, Paros and Naxos in the Cyclades, and the Dodecanese island of Rhodes, according to the National Statistical Service of Greece (ELSTAT). 

The picture is different in terms of the square meterage to which the new building permits correspond, with the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni leading the pack, followed by Glyfada (southern Athens), Zakynthos, Athens and Lefkada.

More specifically, there were 316 permits (84,231 sq.m.) issued on Lefkada and 253 permits (86,344 sq.m.) on Zakynthos.

A similar situation was recorded on the other large Ionian islands.

In Attica, the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni is in first place in Greece in terms of square meterage (92,947 sq.m.) to which the building permits of 2023 correspond (119).

In terms of new square meters of buildings, Glyfada is second with 86,576 (corresponding to 94 building permits).

Next, in fourth place, is the Municipality of Athens, with 84,231 sq.m. (96 building permits), and sixth is the Municipality of Kifissia, with 78,440 sq.m. (out of 116 building permits).

A total of 11,079 building permits were issued in Greece in 2023, corresponding to 4,631,730 square meters in area. 

At a regional level, Attica maintains the lead (by a wide margin) both in terms of the number of new permits (2,209) and the square meterage they correspond to (1,584,062 sq.m.), followed by the Region of the South Aegean, with 1,378 permits (411,357 sq.m.), and Central Macedonia, with 1,367 permits (but much more in square meterage, at 614,851). 

The lowest position in the relevant list is occupied by the Region of Western Macedonia, where only 92 building permits were issued.