The number of new residential building permits issued in Germany increased 30% in the first half of 2016, soaring to 182,000, according to new figures from the Federal Statistics Office.
The biggest rise was recorded in the 'hostel residences' sub category - which also includes refugee shelters - where approvals reached 12,400, a 174.2% rise. Large increases were also seen in multi-family dwellings (up 31%), semi-detached houses (up 18%) and detached houses (up 12%).
In total, permits were issued for 156,986 new dwellings while construction work was approved on 25,834 existing properties, the highest figures seen since 2000.
In 2015, the number of residential building permits stood at nearly 310,000, the highest in 15 years, while figures for completed residential units rose 1% to 248,000.
