Nearly 71,000 new homes built last year; most in a decade

Last year, nearly 71 thousand new homes were built and delivered in the Netherlands, over 6 percent more than in 2018 and the biggest increase in a decade, Statistics Netherlands reported on Wednesday. The total housing stock in the Netherlands grew by 0.9 percent last year.

If divisions of houses and transformation of existing buildings are also taken into account, the Netherlands got a total of 77 thousand new homes last year - above the government's goal of creating 75 thousand new homes per year in the fight against the housing shortage. On January 1st, 2020, the country counted a total of 7.9 million homes.

Relatively seen, the housing stock grew the most in Flevoland at 1.6 percent. Growth was also above the national average of 0.9 percent in Noord-Brabant, Utrecht, Noord-Holland, Gelderland and Overijssel. Relatively few new homes were added to the housing stock in Limburg.

The growth in housing stock in Zuid-Holland was also below the national average, but in absolute numbers Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland built the most new homes. Last year 13 thousand new homes were built in each of the two provinces.

Despite the high number of homes built last year, the shortage on the Dutch housing market is expected to continue, realtors' associating NVM and economic institute for construction EIB warned earlier this month. Due to issues with nitrogen emissions and PFAS, the growth in new construction projects are expected to stall this year and in 2021. Last year also saw a decrease in the number of construction permits issued.