Housing construction in Romania slightly up in the first half

Over 17,500 housing units were completed in Romania in the first half of this year, with 723 more than in the same period the previous year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute INS. In the second quarter, some 9,300 new units were completed, slightly up year-on-year. Most of the housing units completed in January-June are located in the urban area – 51.2% of the total. INS data reveals that the number of housing units financed from private sources increased by 659 units year-on-year in the first half of 2014, while the number of units financed from public funds increased by 64. At a national level, the regions where the number of new housing units increased in the first half of 2014 were Bucharest-Ilfov (plus 1198 units), North-West (plus 1258) and West (plus 27). Decreases were registered in South-East, South-Muntenia, North-East, Center and South-West Oltenia regions. Most of the housing units completed in the second quarter of this year are also located in the urban area – 51.4% of the total. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com