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AMMAN — Licensed building area in the Kingdom rose by 13 per cent during the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
According to the Department of Statistics (DoS) monthly report on construction activity and building permits, the total licensed building area from the beginning of the year to the end of September reached 7.18 million square metres, up from 6.36 million square metres during the same period in 2024.
The number of building permits issued nationwide during the first nine months of the year stood at 18,248, compared with 17,207 permits in the same period last year, marking a growth of 6 per cent.
Regarding licensing purposes, the report showed that licensed areas for residential purposes reached 5.6 million square metres, compared with 5.1 million square metres a year earlier, marking an increase of 10 per cent.
Licensed areas for non-residential purposes totalled 1.60 million square metres, up from 1.26 million square metres in the same period last year, a rise of 27 per cent.
Residential purposes accounted for 77.7 per cent of total licensed building areas, while non-residential uses made up 22.3 per cent.
The central region of the Kingdom accounted for 71 per cent of licensed building areas during the period, followed by the northern region and then the southern region.
As for the distribution of licensed residential areas per capita by governorate, Amman recorded the highest share at 13 per cent, with 0.631 square metres per person. Mafraq recorded the lowest share at 4.6 per cent, with 0.225 square metres per person.
Licensed areas for new buildings and additions to existing structures represented 66.2 per cent of total licensed areas, while licensed areas for existing buildings accounted for 33.8 per cent.
The total licensed area for new buildings and additions reached around 4.75 million square metres, compared with around 4.05 million square metres in the same period last year, an increase of 17.3 per cent.
DoS provides monthly data on building permits, including the number of permits, licensed areas and types of building use by governorate, offering key indicators for planners, policymakers and decision-makers on a major component of the construction sector.
Government spending on buildings, roads, infrastructure and related projects represents the other component of the sector and is covered through other surveys, except for government projects that require licensing, which are included in this count.
Building permit indicators reflect actual construction activity, as a permit generally signals the start of building work. By contrast, design contracts and engineering plans used by other entities represent future intentions and an early stage of the licensing process, which may not always be completed.
