The Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) has published a report on the construction permits issued in Albania in the fourth quarter of last year, where the area increased 2.3 times compared to the same period in 2019. In numbers, that could be translated in 554,325 m2 approved in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to 241,708 m2 in 2019. According to INSTAT, “in the fourth quarter 2020 have been approved 306 building permits for new buildings, from 202 building permits approved in the fourth quarter 2019, increasing this indicator by 51.5 %.” The tragic earthquake of 26th of November not only halted the process of permits in the end of 2019, but it was followed also by a reconstruction process in 2020. Considering that in the first and especially the second quarter of 2020 Albania experienced a heavy lockdown, it was expected to see a rise of construction permits issued in the following months of the years.
As reported by INSTAT, Tirana was granted 65% of the total of permits issued in Albania during the fourth quarter of 2020. During this period, the construction permits issued in Tirana increased by 145% compared to the same period in 2019, while in Durrës the permits tripled compared to the same period in 2019. Durrës after the earthquake has been also in the centre of the reconstruction process.
The approximate value of building permits issued for buildings and civil engineering works, in the fourth quarter 2020, is 28,9 billion ALL, from 11,7 billion ALL approved in the fourth quarter 2019. The pandemic influenced overall a decline of new permits throughout 2020 compared to 2019. During 2020, the total number of building permits issued for new buildings approved was 961 from 1,094 building permits approved in 2019, decreasing this indicator by 12.2 %.
