AMMAN: The total area of licensed buildings in Jordan saw a decline of 8.6% during the first ten months of 2024, amounting to approximately 7.26 million square meters. This figure is a decrease from the 7.94 million square meters recorded in the same period in 2023, highlighting a downward trend in the construction sector, as detailed in the Department of Statistics' monthly report released on Monday.
According to Jordan News Agency, the report further disclosed that the number of building permits issued by the end of October 2024 was 19,629, marking a 4.4% decrease from the 20,535 permits issued during the same period last year. This drop in permits may indicate a slowdown in new construction projects across the country.
The report breaks down the licensed areas by purpose, noting that residential areas accounted for 5.82 million square meters, which is an 11.6% decrease from the previous year's 6.58 million square meters. In contrast, licensed areas for non-residential purposes increased by 6.7%, reaching 1.43 million square meters compared to 1.34 million square meters in 2023. Despite the decline in overall building areas, non-residential purposes showed resilience with a modest increase.
Residential buildings made up 80.2% of the total licensed area by the end of October 2024, while non-residential purposes accounted for 19.8%. This distribution indicates the continued dominance of residential construction in the Jordanian building sector.
Regionally, the central region contributed the largest share with 67.4% of the total licensed area, reflecting a 2.7% increase compared to 2023. The northern region's contribution was 22.8%, which represents an 11.6% decline, suggestive of reduced construction activity in that area. Conversely, the southern region experienced a growth of 14%, contributing 9.8% to the total licensed area.