Residential-building activity in France showed noticeable decline in the course of 2012. According to the French Ministry of Housing building approvals were down year-over-year by 7.3% to 495,496 in 2012. The downturn in the number of approvals for apartments in new buildings was 7.7% to 429,851, while approvals for apartments in existing buildings dropped by 4.7% to 65,645. Approval numbers for detached houses were down by 11.3% to 153,736 and those for terraced houses declined year on year by 10.5% to 71,729. Approvals for multiple-dwelling units, at 234,569, showed a year-on-year decrease of 5.3%. In contrast, approvals for apartments in homes and hostels increased by 5.4% to 35,462.
Source:
http://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/miscellaneous/single/Artikel/french-residential-building-weakens-in-2012.html
