Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Directorate for Business Statistics (DCSE) Division for short-term business statistics (SED)
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Via Tuscolana, 1788 - 00173 Rome Italy
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
13 June 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
13 June 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
13 June 2025
3.1. Data description
Quarterly indicators of building permits. From December 2003 until April 2021, the "Quick Survey on Building Permits" was a quarterly sample survey. Starting in June 2021, data collection shifted to include all units of the target population, transforming the survey into a census. The survey collects information on new residential and non-residential building projects (including those demolished and entirely rebuilt) or enlargements of pre-existing buildings, excluding transformations and renovations (e.g., conversions of non-residential buildings into residential buildings are not collected). Information is provided by municipalities or by individuals applying for building permits or other qualifying titles to build and is collected by municipalities, which validate online questionnaires monthly to make them available to Istat. A building permit is an authorisation to begin work on a building project. As such, a permit represents the final stage of planning and building authorisations before construction starts. Therefore, building permit indices are a good estimation for the future development and trends in construction. Although some permits may not be used, or there may be a significant time lag between permit issuance and the start of the building project, an index based on these permits provides reliable indications of the future workload in the construction sector. The data disseminated includes the number of dwellings and the square metres of useful floor area for residential and non-residential activities. The building permits indicator is one of the PEEIs (Principal European Economic Indicators).
3.2. Classification system
CPA Ver 2.2 - Statistical classification of products by activity
3.3. Coverage - sector
The coverage is based on CPA Ver. 2.2 and covers Section F Division 41
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
List and definition of variables: 1) Number of new dwellings (total, in one and in two or more dwellings residential buildings). 2) Square metres of useful floor area of new dwellings (total, in one and in two or more dwellings residential buildings). 3) Square metres of residencies for communities (new buildings and enlargement of pre-existing buildings, until the third quarter of 2021; only new buildings, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional). 4) Square metres of non-residential activities (total, in office buildings and in other non-residential activities) (new buildings and enlargement of pre-existing buildings, until the third quarter of 2021; only new buildings, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional). Starting from September 2022 (second quarter 2022 provisional) the sum of square metres of useful floor area of new dwellings and square metres of new residencies for communities is also reported to Eurostat. Square metres of total area collected for residencies for communities and non-residential activities can be considered a good estimation of the square metres of useful floor area. Definition of variables is consistent with the European Commission Regulation No 1503/2006. The target variable is measured as a flow during the calendar quarter.
3.5. Statistical unit
Information is provided by the applicants for building permits (or other qualifying titles to build) or, if unavailable, by the municipality. Applicants are required to fill out two online questionnaires: ISTAT/PDC/RE and ISTAT/PDC/NRE. Every month, municipal offices must verify the accuracy of the information reported in the questionnaires. They do this by completing the section of the form reserved for office use and validating the online questionnaires, making them available to Istat. If no permits or other qualifying titles to build are issued in the reference month, the municipality must send a notice of no building activity using the ISTAT/PDC/NEG form. The observation units are the residential and non-residential building projects that have been authorised.
3.6. Statistical population
For residential: new building projects authorised by a certified permit or other title to build (for residential). For communities and non-residential: new building projects and enlargement of pre-existing buildings authorised by a certified permit or other title to build until the third quarter of 2021; only new building projects, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional. In 2024 the average is around 1700 questionnaires per month.
3.7. Reference area
Italy - The whole national territory
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available since 2000. The questionnaires were last extensively revised in 2010. They are updated annually to improve clarity and ease of completion, and to incorporate references to new legal acts and regulations.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable - building permits data are expressed in absolute values.
Residential buildings are measured in number of dwellings and in square metres of useful floor area. Non-residential buildings are measured in square meters of floor area (absolute figures).
Data collection and production process are both monthly, while indicators and data dissemination, to Eurostat and at national level, are quarterly. Building permits are assigned to the month when they are granted; other titles to build are assigned to the month when they become effective.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Commission Regulation No 1503/2006 defining variables and frequency of data compilation, repealing new orders received for building construction and new orders received for civil engineering.
Commission Regulation No 472/2008 introducing the new base year 2005 and the statistical classification of economic activities, NACE Rev. 2, into short-term statistics.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
No other transmissions to international organizations except Eurostat.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Confidentiality provisions are explicitly stated in the Istat President’s letter sent every year by email to all municipalities along with references to different acts on statistics. Several national legal acts guarantee the confidentiality of data requested for statistical purposes. According to art. 9, paragraph 1 of the Legislative Decree n. 322 of 1989, personal data can only be disseminated in aggregate form, in order to make it impossible to identify individuals. The Personal Data Protection Code (introduced by the Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003) and the Legislative Decree no. 101 of 10 August 2018 (compliance Decree to Regulation UE no. 679/2016 - General Data Protection Regulation) provide special rules concerning the processing of personal data for statistical purposes within the National Statistical System (Sistan). Further, in order to make statistical secrecy and protection of personal data effective, Istat is currently taking appropriate organisational, logistical, methodological and statistical measures in accordance with internationally established standards. Links to different legal acts on statistics are listed on Sistan’s website - National Statistical System - Sistan - Normativa della statistica ufficiale.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Data transmitted to Eurostat encompass 11 variables, yet only 3 of them are disseminated at the national level. Starting from the provisional third quarter of 2021, all 11 variables are transmitted without confidential flags but remain embargoed until national dissemination. The new variable (the sum of square meters of useful floor area of new dwellings and square meters of new residencies for communities), sent from September 2022 (second quarter 2022 provisional), follows the same confidentiality procedures as the other 10 variables.
8.1. Release calendar
In December of each year, Istat publishes a release calendar, detailing the exact release dates for the upcoming year. This calendar is distributed to the press and is freely available to all interested parties.
Data are released simultaneously to all interested parties by issuing the press release “Buildings permits indicators” on Istat’s website. There is no pre-release access. Data are also sent to Eurostat according to required standards by EDAMIS4 using SDMX format. Eurostat receives embargoed data until national press release and all data (11 variables) are without confidentiality flag. 8 variables are not disseminated nationally, because they are not considered significant for the national press release. Data are transmitted to Eurostat no later than 90 days after the end of the reference quarter.
Quarterly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
"Building permits indicators” is a quarterly press release with graphs and tables that ease the data analysis; a short text explains recent evolution for the phenomenon. It includes information on methodological aspects through a “Methodological note”, attached to the press release. Data series (from 2000) are disseminated in seasonally adjusted form (with quarter on previous quarter percentage changes) and in non-adjusted form (with quarter on same quarter a year ago percentage changes).
Data are made available to the public through yearly publication “Annuario Statistico Italiano” (ASI) -Italian Statistical Yearbook; it shows graphs and tables of quarterly indicators relating to the total number and square metres of useful floor area of dwelling in new residential buildings and total square metres of new on residential activities (seasonally adjusted data).
"Noi Italia - 100 statistics to understand the country we live in" includes data on dwellings and useful floor area in new residential buildings, per 1000 households at national level, also with regional and European comparisons.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The data can be accessed in the IstatData database, under the theme “Industry and Construction” and the sub-theme “Building Permits Indicators.” The specific datasets available include “New Residential Buildings” and “New Non-Residential Construction.”
The IstatData online database is open and free to use. It organises statistics by theme in a two-level hierarchical structure. Data are presented in aggregate form within multidimensional tables. Users can create custom tables and graphs by adjusting variables, reference periods, and the layout of rows and columns. The system allows for searches by keyword and theme.
Comprehensive standard metadata is available to assist users in retrieving and understanding the statistics. For more detailed information, please refer to the User Guide.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Before data dissemination, validated microdata are stored in an ISTAT database called ARMIDA (Archive of Validated Microdata). This repository also collects additional useful information, such as metadata and classifications, to ensure the correct interpretation of the data. ARMIDA was established with the primary objective of preserving and documenting the data produced by all internal ISTAT surveys. It also supports the goal of disseminating data. The microdata archived in ARMIDA serve various dissemination channels, including: the “Access Protocol of Microdata of ARMIDA” for internal users, Adele’s Laboratory and authorities within the Sistan network, an external environment for research files, standard files. Additionally, microdata are stored in an internal Oracle database.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Starting from the provisional third quarter of 2021, all data sent to Eurostat are embargoed and utilized for European aggregates. These data become available for national dissemination only after they have been published by ISTAT.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
A detailed description of the survey methodology and characteristics is provided in the technical explanatory note, which is regularly updated and attached to the quarterly press release. Beginning with the provisional data from the first quarter of 2021, the quarterly data now cover the entire population of Italian municipalities. Additionally, new methodologies for non-response imputation have been implemented. These updates, along with the data sources for the index, are thoroughly described in the document “Le nuove procedure di imputazione della mancata risposta nelle indagini sui Permessi di Costruire”- Francesca Tuzi e Alessandra Leo, December 2020.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Metainformation on statistical production processes and secondary processes is contained in the Information System on Quality (SIQual). SIQual includes metadata on process content, operational characteristics (process phases and operations), and quality measures. These quality measures encompass activities related to error prevention, monitoring, and evaluation (quality actions) as well as documentation on process and product quality. SIQual is accessible on ISTAT's website. Additional details about the procedures applied for quality management and quality assessment can be found in the document "Quality Guidelines for Statistical Processes" (August 2016).
11.1. Quality assurance
Istat quality policy is aligns with the European Statistics Code of Practice initially adopted in 2005 and revised in 2011 and 2017, as well as with Eurostat's Quality Definition and the recommendations of the LEG on Quality. In accordance with these principles, Italy has adopted the Italian Code of Official Statistics to enhance the quality of statistics produced by the Italian National Statistical System. Essential points of Istat quality policy are: process and product quality, documentation, respect for respondents, strengthening of statistical literacy and users’ orientation. For more details: Quality commitment.
Quality assurance for this survey, in the framework of the quality policy of Istat, is based on the implementation of various activities, such as
Prevention and monitoring of non-respondent, initiatives to foster survey participation and follow-ups of non-respondent units, penalties for non-respondent municipalities (see point 13.3);
Submission of on-line questionnaires to some variable compatibility checks; checking of few fields during data entry;
Quality control action based on fully deterministic and mixed procedures for the treatment of deterministic error and outlier detection and imputation; the first procedure is based on deterministic modelling, the second (BANFF procedure) is carried out by clerical reviewers and is based on data from previous editions of the same survey;
Coherence control with previous data of the same survey;
Elaboration of a set of standard quality indicators.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The overall quality assessment can be considered satisfactory, as there is a compliance between the production process and Istat quality guidelines. Indicators are relevant with regard to users' information needs, they are accurate and easily accessible and supported by metadata allowing for a perfect understanding of the data, they allows comparisons over time and respect the timing. A set of standard quality indicators is regularly analysed and shows the following indicators: coverage and unit non-response (since 2008), editing and imputation (since 2007), timeliness and punctuality (since 2003), resources (since 2005). These indicators are available on SIQual (Information System on Quality), presented with graphs and tables for easy analysis. For more information, please refer to: Siqual - Information System on Quality - Quick survey on building permits.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Main users of indicators of building permits are: - Institutions: government departments, ECB, national central bank, international organisations, etc.
Social actors: employers' organisations, trade unions, lobby groups, etc.
Media.
Researchers & students.
Enterprises/businesses.
Internal users.
Eurostat. Users mainly manage these data for studying evolution and planning policies at national or local level.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
Eurostat's requirements for time series data are fully met.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
All measures to reduce errors have been implemented, ensuring the overall accuracy of the index is good. Additionally, there is an average lag of 7 months between the provisional and final releases, during which the indicators typically exhibit a consistent trend.
13.2. Sampling error
Starting from June 2021, beginning with the dissemination of provisional first quarter 2021 data, the survey on building permits has transitioned into a census, encompassing the entire population of Italian municipalities for quarterly reporting. This approach includes outlier treatment and adjustments for non-response to ensure the robustness and accuracy of the data.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non-sampling errors are mitigated through a series of proactive measures. During the collection phase, strategies such as email reminders, deadline notices, and telephone contacts are employed to minimize late transmissions and enhance response rates. Municipalities failing to comply may face financial penalties in accordance with Legislative Decree n. 322/1989 (articles 7 and 11) for the year 2023. Since July 2010, the implementation of an online procedure has aimed to further increase response rates and streamline data validation through compatibility checks on key variables. Additional actions include thorough checking procedures for individual fields during data entry and automated error checks post-entry. The response rate is approximately 91.7% for both the initial release to Eurostat and the second release, with response rates weighted by population.
14.1. Timeliness
Quarterly estimates of construction permits, covering a comprehensive set of 11 variables, are transmitted to Eurostat 90 days following the conclusion of the reference quarter. Subsequently, these estimates undergo revision 180 days after the reference period. At the national level, a quarterly press release is issued 110 days after the reference period, featuring only 3 of the 11 variables submitted to Eurostat. Initially, the data are provisional upon the first release, with subsequent revisions leading to finalization coinciding with the dissemination of structural survey data, typically occurring around 7 months after the reference period. The process of filling out questionnaires commences during the reference period and continues for one month afterward, marking the end of data collection.
14.2. Punctuality
Both European and national releases are punctual, adhering to the designated timelines for dissemination.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data dissemination at the national level adheres to European definitions outlined in CR 1503/2006, ensuring consistency across the entire national territory in terms of definitions and methodologies. Annual data regarding dwellings and square meters of useful floor area in new residential buildings per 1,000 households are accessible by NUTS 2 regions through the online publication "Noi Italia - 100 statistics to understand the country we live in".
15.2. Comparability - over time
The data are comparable starting from the year 2000.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Comparisons with the index of production in construction reveal consistent trends, with any discrepancies typically attributable to the weight of this survey, which constitutes approximately 40% of the total data in the construction sector.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Variables V411 and V412 are coherent for common types of buildings.
The cost estimate is compiled in terms of total number of hours worked (THW). It is equal to the product of three terms: (total) Annual Working Days (AWD), (total) Hours Worked per Day (HWD), Number of Persons involved in the Survey (NPS).
AWD
HWD
NPS
Cost estimate (THW)
220
7.12
2.5
3,916
The burden estimate is compiled in terms of total number ofminutes (TNM) taken to fill in the questionnaire. The respondents need about 15 minutes to fill the questionnaire, while municipalities need about 2-3 minutes to validate and send it.
Type of Respondent
Burden estimate (TNM)
Respondent (to fill)
About 15 min.
Municipalities (to validate and to send)
About 2-3 minutes.
The assessment of these costs and burdens covers the statistics for both STS and national requirements.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In December 2021, the entire quarterly time series underwent revision, integrating methodological innovations implemented in the survey since July 2021 (refer to section 18.5). Notably, significant changes were made to the procedure for imputing missing data for the year 2020, as reported with the publication of the annual tables in June 2021. To ensure consistency in results over time, this new imputation procedure was also applied to tables for the years 2010 to 2019, released in June 2022. Consequently, the quarterly series presented here align with the upcoming annual tables. Revision of the quarterly time series also extended to the years 2000 to 2009. In this instance, changes were limited to considering actual data from all municipalities participating in the survey for each quarter. Previously, the quarterly series were derived from a sample of municipalities, with results reconciled with the annual series.
Preliminary estimates for each quarter are typically issued around 110 days after the reference period, with revised estimates becoming definitive upon dissemination of structural survey data.
Quarterly seasonally adjusted series are estimated each quarter to incorporate the latest responses and update seasonal factors. Consequently, with new data releases, seasonally adjusted values for previous quarters are also revised. Seasonal adjustment models undergo periodic revision, with a revision calendar prepared for internal staff only.
Transparency of disseminated data is ensured, with major changes in methodology or other survey features promptly communicated through methodological notes attached to data releases or via letters sent to municipalities. While errors are rare, if they occur, corrections are promptly disseminated to both Eurostat and the Istat website to inform users. Vintage data are stored in an internal database, with the same revision policy applied to data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data revision comprises two steps (with the exception of the fourth quarter):
The first revision occurs 90 days after the initial release, considering new data received after the first estimate;
A second revision takes place in June of the following year (t+1) after the initial estimate release, coinciding with the availability of data from the yearly survey on building permits.
For the fourth quarter, the revision after 90 days aligns with the dissemination of structural survey data, resulting in a single revision.
No revisions are conducted to account for revoked building permits.
The press release "Building Permits Indicators" includes a table titled "Revisions of Growth Rate," detailing differences from previously disseminated data. Additionally, a methodological note provides further information on the revision policy, criteria, and periodicity.
Various revision metrics are compiled for these variables, including Mean Revision (MR), Main Absolute Revision (MAR), Relative Mean Absolute Revision (RMAR%), and Max Absolute Revision (MaxAR). These metrics are calculated for quarter-on-quarter percentage changes compared to the same quarter a year ago, using unadjusted data from the from first quarter 2020 to forth quarter 2024.
MR
MAR
RMAR%
MaxAR
Number of new dwellings
0.48
1.92
27.0
7.6
Square meters of useful floor area of new dwellings
-0.41
2.42
33.9
4.8
Square meters of non residential activities
-1.41
5.01
33.5
17.9
The same indicators are compiled for these variables on quarter-on-quarter percentage chang3es, calculated on seasonally adjusted data, spanning from the 2020 to fourth quarter 2024.
MR
MAR
RMAR%
MaxAR
Number of new dwellings
0.57
1.82
29.8
6.7
Square meters of useful floor area of new dwellings
0.255
1.855
34.4
6.8
Square meters of non residential activities
1.015
6.93
37.6
28.2
For the analysis of these indicators, it's important to note that beginning from June 2021 (with the dissemination of provisional first quarter 2021 data), the survey transitioned into a census. Additionally, changes in the methodology concerning non-response imputation were implemented. Furthermore, starting from the fourth quarter of 2021 (provisional data), square metres of non-residential activities only pertain to new buildings. These adjustments should be taken into consideration when interpreting the data and analysing the indicators.
18.1. Source data
Data collection is conducted through a statistical survey involving two key entities: 1) Natural or legal persons who apply for a building permit or other qualifying title to build. 2) Authorities responsible for issuing the authorization to build, typically municipalities. Since June 2021, the survey has transitioned into a census, encompassing the entire population within its scope.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly
18.3. Data collection
Data collection is facilitated through the website PDC, where respondents are required to log in to access the web questionnaire. The survey utilizes two main questionnaires: the ISTAT/PDC/RE form for residential buildings and the ISTAT/PDC/NRE form for non-residential buildings. Municipal offices are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the reported information on a monthly basis. They fill out the relevant sections of the form and transmit the data to Istat monthly. In instances where no building permits or other qualifying titles are issued during the reference month, municipalities must submit a notice of no building activity using the ISTAT/PDC/NEG form. The deadline for municipal responses is set at 30 days after the reference month, with late submissions factored into the revision process. To mitigate late transmissions and enhance response rates, various measures are implemented, including email reminders, deadline notices, telephone contacts, and penalties for non-responsive municipalities. Each staff member conducts periodic monitoring and follows up on non-responses through established informatics procedures.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is applied following three type of rules: Validation level 0: format and file structure checks; Validation level 1: intra-dataset checks based at record and cell level; Validation level 2: revision checks and time series checks (coherence control with previous data of the same survey).
18.5. Data compilation
Starting from June 2021, quarterly data will also encompass the entire population of Italian municipalities. Additionally, changes in the methodology concerning non-response imputation have been implemented.
The revision process focused on two main objectives: reducing discrepancies between the imputation method used in the structural survey and the method employed in the rapid survey and aligning imputation methods for provinces or municipalities with a population above 50,000 (large municipalities) with those for smaller municipalities, by leveraging longitudinal information derived from the municipalities themselves.
Non-response imputation methods have been simplified, utilizing longitudinal information from the same municipality whenever possible. Different imputation methods are now utilized for the residential and non-residential sectors. In cases where longitudinal information is unavailable, missing data are imputed using the mean growth rate of the stratum.In the formula below, we have yit as the value of the observed variable for the municipality i in the month t, yit-12 and yit-1 are the values at time t-12 and t-1, and we have rit-12and rit-1equal to 1 if yit-12 and yit-1 are observed, otherwise they are equal to 0. If yit is missing and at last four monthly responses are available for the period [t-12, t-1], its value will be imputated based upon the mean of observed values in this period, as follows:
For non-residential sector, extreme values are removed from the series.
If there is not enough information from a longitudinal perspective, missing data are imputed using the mean of the stratum:
Where yjtis the observed value of the jth respondent unit at the time t and obs is the total respondents of the stratum. The strata are formed according to the demographic size class of the municipality and to geographical basis, total amount of the strata is equal to 30: five geographic divisions and six classes of population; the last population class also includes all provincial capitals.
Here in after the % composition of the strata (by number of municipalities):
11 North-West and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (24.8%);
12 North-West and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (7.4%)
13 North-West and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (3.1%);
14 North-West and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.5%);
15 North-West and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.6%);
16 North-West and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
21 North-East and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (7.5%);
22 North-East and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (4.9%);
23 North-East and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (2.9%);
24 North-East and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.4%);
25 North-East and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.5%);
26 North-East and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.3%);
31 Centre and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (5.8%);
32 Centre and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (2.6%);
33 Centre and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (1.6%);
34 Centre and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.2%);
35 Centre and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.5%);
36 Centre and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
41 South and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (13.0 %);
42 South and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (4.6%);
43 South and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (2.1%);
44 South and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.5%);
45 South and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.9%);
46 South and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.6%);
51 Islands and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (5.3%);
52 Islands and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (2.0%);
53 Islands and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (1.2%);
54 Islands and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (0.5%);
55 Islands and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
56 Islands and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.3%).
The indicators transmitted to Eurostat consist of absolute figures, without any weighting or chaining methods applied.
18.6. Adjustment
The released data are presented in three forms: unadjusted, seasonally adjusted, and calendar adjusted. Seasonal effects are corrected using the TRAMO-SEATS procedure, specifically Version 4 Linux Revision 942. All 11 series are transmitted to Eurostat in a seasonally adjusted form. However, since December 2021 (second quarter provisional), additional series, such as square meters for communities and office buildings, have been included in the seasonally adjusted data. Additionally, starting from September 2022 (first quarter provisional), the sum of square meters of useful floor area of new dwellings and square meters of new residencies for communities has been included. With the addition of new quarterly information, parameters are re-estimated each quarter, and seasonally adjusted series are revised from the first quarter of 2000. The statistical models used for seasonal adjustments are periodically reviewed and updated to ensure a good fit with the time series. A Reg-Arima approach is employed for seasonal adjustment.
The adjustment process involves the manual correction of outliers, such as additive outliers, temporary changes, level shifts, and seasonal outliers, during the revision of seasonal adjustment models. The filter length is automatically determined based on diagnostics on residuals and critical values for outlier detection. Each series in the dataset follows a log-additive decomposition model and is directly adjusted.
Quarterly indicators of building permits. From December 2003 until April 2021, the "Quick Survey on Building Permits" was a quarterly sample survey. Starting in June 2021, data collection shifted to include all units of the target population, transforming the survey into a census. The survey collects information on new residential and non-residential building projects (including those demolished and entirely rebuilt) or enlargements of pre-existing buildings, excluding transformations and renovations (e.g., conversions of non-residential buildings into residential buildings are not collected). Information is provided by municipalities or by individuals applying for building permits or other qualifying titles to build and is collected by municipalities, which validate online questionnaires monthly to make them available to Istat. A building permit is an authorisation to begin work on a building project. As such, a permit represents the final stage of planning and building authorisations before construction starts. Therefore, building permit indices are a good estimation for the future development and trends in construction. Although some permits may not be used, or there may be a significant time lag between permit issuance and the start of the building project, an index based on these permits provides reliable indications of the future workload in the construction sector. The data disseminated includes the number of dwellings and the square metres of useful floor area for residential and non-residential activities. The building permits indicator is one of the PEEIs (Principal European Economic Indicators).
13 June 2025
List and definition of variables: 1) Number of new dwellings (total, in one and in two or more dwellings residential buildings). 2) Square metres of useful floor area of new dwellings (total, in one and in two or more dwellings residential buildings). 3) Square metres of residencies for communities (new buildings and enlargement of pre-existing buildings, until the third quarter of 2021; only new buildings, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional). 4) Square metres of non-residential activities (total, in office buildings and in other non-residential activities) (new buildings and enlargement of pre-existing buildings, until the third quarter of 2021; only new buildings, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional). Starting from September 2022 (second quarter 2022 provisional) the sum of square metres of useful floor area of new dwellings and square metres of new residencies for communities is also reported to Eurostat. Square metres of total area collected for residencies for communities and non-residential activities can be considered a good estimation of the square metres of useful floor area. Definition of variables is consistent with the European Commission Regulation No 1503/2006. The target variable is measured as a flow during the calendar quarter.
Information is provided by the applicants for building permits (or other qualifying titles to build) or, if unavailable, by the municipality. Applicants are required to fill out two online questionnaires: ISTAT/PDC/RE and ISTAT/PDC/NRE. Every month, municipal offices must verify the accuracy of the information reported in the questionnaires. They do this by completing the section of the form reserved for office use and validating the online questionnaires, making them available to Istat. If no permits or other qualifying titles to build are issued in the reference month, the municipality must send a notice of no building activity using the ISTAT/PDC/NEG form. The observation units are the residential and non-residential building projects that have been authorised.
For residential: new building projects authorised by a certified permit or other title to build (for residential). For communities and non-residential: new building projects and enlargement of pre-existing buildings authorised by a certified permit or other title to build until the third quarter of 2021; only new building projects, starting from the fourth of 2021 provisional. In 2024 the average is around 1700 questionnaires per month.
Italy - The whole national territory
Data collection and production process are both monthly, while indicators and data dissemination, to Eurostat and at national level, are quarterly. Building permits are assigned to the month when they are granted; other titles to build are assigned to the month when they become effective.
All measures to reduce errors have been implemented, ensuring the overall accuracy of the index is good. Additionally, there is an average lag of 7 months between the provisional and final releases, during which the indicators typically exhibit a consistent trend.
Residential buildings are measured in number of dwellings and in square metres of useful floor area. Non-residential buildings are measured in square meters of floor area (absolute figures).
Starting from June 2021, quarterly data will also encompass the entire population of Italian municipalities. Additionally, changes in the methodology concerning non-response imputation have been implemented.
The revision process focused on two main objectives: reducing discrepancies between the imputation method used in the structural survey and the method employed in the rapid survey and aligning imputation methods for provinces or municipalities with a population above 50,000 (large municipalities) with those for smaller municipalities, by leveraging longitudinal information derived from the municipalities themselves.
Non-response imputation methods have been simplified, utilizing longitudinal information from the same municipality whenever possible. Different imputation methods are now utilized for the residential and non-residential sectors. In cases where longitudinal information is unavailable, missing data are imputed using the mean growth rate of the stratum.In the formula below, we have yit as the value of the observed variable for the municipality i in the month t, yit-12 and yit-1 are the values at time t-12 and t-1, and we have rit-12and rit-1equal to 1 if yit-12 and yit-1 are observed, otherwise they are equal to 0. If yit is missing and at last four monthly responses are available for the period [t-12, t-1], its value will be imputated based upon the mean of observed values in this period, as follows:
For non-residential sector, extreme values are removed from the series.
If there is not enough information from a longitudinal perspective, missing data are imputed using the mean of the stratum:
Where yjtis the observed value of the jth respondent unit at the time t and obs is the total respondents of the stratum. The strata are formed according to the demographic size class of the municipality and to geographical basis, total amount of the strata is equal to 30: five geographic divisions and six classes of population; the last population class also includes all provincial capitals.
Here in after the % composition of the strata (by number of municipalities):
11 North-West and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (24.8%);
12 North-West and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (7.4%)
13 North-West and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (3.1%);
14 North-West and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.5%);
15 North-West and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.6%);
16 North-West and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
21 North-East and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (7.5%);
22 North-East and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (4.9%);
23 North-East and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (2.9%);
24 North-East and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.4%);
25 North-East and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.5%);
26 North-East and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.3%);
31 Centre and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (5.8%);
32 Centre and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (2.6%);
33 Centre and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (1.6%);
34 Centre and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.2%);
35 Centre and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.5%);
36 Centre and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
41 South and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (13.0 %);
42 South and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (4.6%);
43 South and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (2.1%);
44 South and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (1.5%);
45 South and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.9%);
46 South and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.6%);
51 Islands and population up to 3,000 inhabitants (5.3%);
52 Islands and population from 3,001 to 7,000 inhabitants (2.0%);
53 Islands and population from 7,001 to 13,000 inhabitants (1.2%);
54 Islands and population from 13,001 to 25,000 inhabitants (0.5%);
55 Islands and population from 25,001 to 49,999 inhabitants (0.4%);
56 Islands and population more than 49,999 inhabitants (0.3%).
The indicators transmitted to Eurostat consist of absolute figures, without any weighting or chaining methods applied.
Data collection is conducted through a statistical survey involving two key entities: 1) Natural or legal persons who apply for a building permit or other qualifying title to build. 2) Authorities responsible for issuing the authorization to build, typically municipalities. Since June 2021, the survey has transitioned into a census, encompassing the entire population within its scope.
Quarterly.
Quarterly estimates of construction permits, covering a comprehensive set of 11 variables, are transmitted to Eurostat 90 days following the conclusion of the reference quarter. Subsequently, these estimates undergo revision 180 days after the reference period. At the national level, a quarterly press release is issued 110 days after the reference period, featuring only 3 of the 11 variables submitted to Eurostat. Initially, the data are provisional upon the first release, with subsequent revisions leading to finalization coinciding with the dissemination of structural survey data, typically occurring around 7 months after the reference period. The process of filling out questionnaires commences during the reference period and continues for one month afterward, marking the end of data collection.
Data dissemination at the national level adheres to European definitions outlined in CR 1503/2006, ensuring consistency across the entire national territory in terms of definitions and methodologies. Annual data regarding dwellings and square meters of useful floor area in new residential buildings per 1,000 households are accessible by NUTS 2 regions through the online publication "Noi Italia - 100 statistics to understand the country we live in".
The data are comparable starting from the year 2000.
