Israel Building Permits Up 11.5% in 2025, But Completions Drop
Israel's Planning Administration report for 2025 shows an 11.5% rise in building permits to 84,429 units, while completion certificates dropped by 10% to 42,696 apartments.
In 2025, local planning and building committees across the country issued permits for 84,429 new housing units, representing an 11.5% increase compared to 75,691 units in 2024. According to the annual report published today (Wednesday) by the Planning Administration, this marks the highest number of approved housing units over the past four years.
Permits Versus Completions
Despite the rise in building permits, completion certificates tell a different story. During the same period, only 42,696 apartments received completion certificates, down about 10% from 47,415 units the previous year. The report notes that building permits and completion certificates apply to different stages of construction, meaning the gap between the two figures does not directly indicate how many permitted apartments were finished within the calendar year.
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Jerusalem led the country in newly permitted housing units with 8,444 apartments.
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Tel Aviv-Yafo followed in second place with 6,915 approved units.
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Lod ranked third with 3,381 units, ahead of Haifa (2,775) and Bat Yam (2,719).
Conversely, when examining completion certificates, Tel Aviv-Yafo took the lead with 5,684 finished units, followed by Netanya (2,497) and Ashkelon (2,270).
Committee Performance and Bureaucracy
The report also highlighted the activity of certified architects authorized to issue building permits to reduce municipal backlogs. In 2025, 348 information files were submitted through this fast-track route, resulting in 16 issued permits and 56 approved housing units. Furthermore, 68% of local committees met the legal requirement to hold at least 12 plenary or subcommittee meetings annually, marking a 25.8% improvement over 2024. However, compliance regarding prompt decision publishing lagged behind: only 45% of committees distributed their resolution files within the mandated three-day window.
