New Zealand Building Permits Rebound in April

Building consents for new dwellings in New Zealand surged 10.9% month-on-month in April 2026, rebounding sharply from a downwardly revised 0.8% decline in March. A total of 3,692 new dwellings were consented, including 1,604 stand-alone houses, 1,530 townhouses, flats, and units, 499 apartments, and 59 retirement village units. In the year ended April 2026, the total number of new dwellings consented was 39,087, up 16% from the year ended April 2025. Meanwhile, New Zealand recorded 7.3 new dwellings consented per 1,000 residents, up from 6.3 per 1,000 in the previous year. The record number of new dwellings consented per 1,000 residents was 13.4 in the year ended December 1973.

Building consents for new dwellings in New Zealand fell 1.3% month-on-month in March 2026, reversing an upwardly revised 2.8% increase in February. This marked the first decline in building consents since last December. A total of 3,677 new dwellings were consented, including 1,729 stand-alone houses, 1,556 townhouses, flats, and units, 265 apartments, and 127 retirement village units. In the year ended March 2026, the total number of new dwellings consented was 37,813, up 11% from the year ended March 2025. Meanwhile, New Zealand recorded 7.1 new dwellings consented per 1,000 residents, up from 6.4 per 1,000 in the previous year. The record number of new dwellings consented per 1,000 residents was 13.4 in the year ended December 1973.

Building consents for new dwellings in New Zealand rose 2.7% month-on-month in February 2026, after rising 2.0% in January. A total of 3,168 new dwellings were consented, including 1,532 stand-alone houses, 1,305 townhouses, flats, and units, 141 apartments, and 190 retirement village units. In the year ended February 2026, New Zealand saw 7.1 new dwellings consented per 1,000 residents, up from 6.3 per 1,000 in the year ended February 2025.