TRNC Construction Statistics 2025: What Changed?

Short answer: The Northern Cyprus (TRNC) construction statistics published by the Statistical Institute on 7 October 2026 show that the number of apartments receiving final approval in 2025 increased from 3.952 in 2024 to 4.893, or by around %24. However, the entire increase came from rural areas outside municipal boundaries; the number of apartments approved in urban areas fell by %20. The largest volume was in rural Girne and rural Famagusta.

This article has been prepared for buyers, homeowners and those conducting pre-investment research who want to read the direction of the TRNC housing market through official data. We simplify the tables in the bulletin, explain what the figures measure and what they do not, and focus on the practical conclusions a buyer can draw from this data. We explained how to check the permit stage of a project one by one in our article on construction permit checks in Cyprus.

TRNC construction statistics 2025: key figures

The main message of the 2025 bulletin is this: the number of buildings in urban areas remained almost unchanged, while there was a clear jump in rural areas. According to the Statistical Institute’s summary, in urban areas the number of buildings decreased by %0,7 and the total floor area by %17,9 compared with the previous year. In rural areas, however, the number of buildings increased by %35,5 and the floor area by %39.

The figures in the table were taken from Tables 2 and 3 of the bulletin; we calculated the rates of change. For the source of the bulletin and the full tables, you can see the Statistical Institute’s 2025 Construction and Parcel Statistics announcement.

What do these data measure? The “final approval” detail

To read these statistics correctly, it is first necessary to know the scope. According to the bulletin, the data are compiled from construction forms completed by municipalities and district offices, and cover only constructions that have received a final approval certificate. Approvals within municipal boundaries are counted as “urban”, while approvals issued by district offices for villages are counted as “rural” statistics.

Final approval is not the moment when the construction permit is first issued. The Professional Supervision Regulation of the Chamber of Civil Engineers states that the permitting authority will not initiate the final or partial approval process without the completion certificate of the supervising engineer. In other words, these tables largely show buildings that have reached the official approval stage; not all projects whose foundations were laid that year. Therefore, the 2025 data also include works that started in previous years and reached approval in 2025.

The bulletin also includes two details:

• Value is calculated excluding land: The building value is found by multiplying the floor area by the unit costs of the Planning and Construction Department and the Cyprus Turkish Chambers of Architects and Engineers. It is not the sales price.
• Definition of house and apartment block: Buildings with one or two apartments are counted as “houses”, while buildings with three or more apartments are counted as “apartment blocks”. For this reason, semi-detached villas within a residential complex may be included in the “house” group.

Apartment blocks declined in cities, jumped in rural areas

The most striking breakdown of 2025 is seen in housing type. The number of apartment units approved in urban areas fell from 2.027 to 1.275 (around a %37 decrease). In the same period, the number of units in the urban “house” group rose from 497 to 741. In rural areas, the picture reversed: the number of apartment units increased from 537 to 1.773, in other words to more than three times its previous level.

This table suggests that multi-unit projects are increasingly shifting to village and coastal areas outside municipal boundaries. The fact that a significant part of the large residential complex projects on the northern coast and around Famagusta are located in areas subject to district office approval is consistent with this trend. Still, because the bulletin does not include a breakdown by project name or village, this should be assessed as a readable trend rather than a definite cause-and-effect relationship.

There is a similar picture on the value side. According to the bulletin, the total value of urban buildings receiving final approval in 2025 was calculated at approximately 13,9 billion TL, while the total value of rural buildings was approximately 19,1 billion TL. The value of residential buildings in rural areas alone reaches 14,3 billion TL. Let us remind you again that these values are calculated excluding land and based on official unit costs, meaning they indicate construction volume, not sales volume. On the commercial side, 125 shops in urban areas and 134 shops in rural areas received final approval; units such as markets and cafés within residential complex projects may also be included in these numbers.

The practical conclusion for buyers is this: whether the unit you are buying is within municipal boundaries or under the authority of a district office determines which authority will manage the approval process. It is useful to clarify this information from the start when discussing the completion and title deed timetable. We explained in detail after which steps the title deed is issued in projects in our article when the title deed is issued in projects in the TRNC.

Approved apartments by district

When we combine the urban and rural tables, Girne was the district where the highest number of apartments received final approval in 2025. Girne is followed by Famagusta and Nicosia.

A note of caution: The district figures on the bulletin’s summary pages (for example 887 for urban Nicosia, 1.460 for rural Girne) are slightly different from the apartment numbers in the tables. We used the values in Tables 4 and 5. The difference is probably due to the summary being based on a different compilation method; for any work requiring exact figures, obtain confirmation from the Statistical Institute.

Nicosia’s weight is on the urban side: the majority of apartments approved in the capital are within municipal boundaries. In Girne and Famagusta, by contrast, most of the volume is in district office areas. İskele ranks fourth with 541 apartments. If you would like to compare the lifestyle and price differences between regions, you can see our guide on where to buy a home in North Cyprus.

Parcel statistics: what does land supply tell us?

The bulletin includes not only buildings but also parceling (dividing land into development parcels) data. In 2025, the number of plots created in urban areas increased from 406 to 546, and in rural areas from 611 to 651. On the urban side, the most active district was Nicosia with 354 plots. In rural areas, Nicosia with 281, Famagusta with 190 and Girne with 164 plots stood out.

Parceling can be read as an early indicator of construction volume a few years later; land divided today turns into tomorrow’s villa and detached house projects. Since the bulletin gives areas in square feet and also includes details such as green areas and road length, a buyer considering investment in a specific region can use this table as a rough indicator of local land supply. For the limits on foreigners buying land and development control, you can read our article on buying land in the TRNC.

What does it mean for buyers and homeowners?

Official data alone does not say “prices will rise” or “prices will fall”; but it provides a strong basis for understanding the structure of the market. The main conclusions that can be drawn from the 2025 figures are as follows:

1. Supply is shifting to the coast and villages: %59 of approved apartments are in rural areas. Ask on a project-by-project basis how infrastructure such as municipal services, roads, sewerage and public transport is provided in these areas.
2. Multi-unit residential complex projects are increasing: The increase in rural apartment units indicates that the share of large complexes with shared areas is rising. Service charges, the management plan and how common area maintenance is regulated in the contract are becoming even more important.
3. The approval process determines the timetable: Final approval is one of the prerequisites for the condominium ownership and title deed process. Asking in writing whether a project has reached the approval stage provides more concrete information than simply discussing the delivery date.
4. Supply is narrowing in urban areas: The decline in urban apartment block approvals suggests that options may remain limited, especially for those looking for long-term rental housing in central Nicosia and Famagusta.

Statistics show the general direction of the market; only documents show the status of a single project. Visiting a completed development such as Salamis Park Villas, one of Akol Global’s completed projects in Famagusta, and asking the same document-related questions there as well is the most concrete way to understand what the figures in the tables mean on the ground.

Frequently asked questions

How many apartments were approved in the TRNC in 2025?

According to the bulletin published by the Statistical Institute on 7 October 2026, the number of apartments receiving final approval in 2025 was 2.016 in urban areas and 2.877 in rural areas, for a total of 4.893. This figure corresponds to an increase of around %24 compared with 3.952 apartments in 2024. The figures cover buildings that reached the approval stage, not all constructions that started that year.

How is the urban and rural construction distinction made?

Final approvals issued by municipalities within municipal boundaries are counted as urban statistics, while approvals issued by district offices in villages outside municipal boundaries are counted as rural statistics. For this reason, many large residential complex projects on the coast may appear in the rural table because they are far from city centers.

What does the 2025 construction data say about housing prices?

The bulletin does not include price data; building values are calculated excluding land, using official unit costs. The data show where supply is concentrated and in which housing type. For price expectations, this table should be assessed together with exchange rates, demand and regional rental data.

Which district had the highest number of approved apartments?

According to Tables 4 and 5 of the bulletin, in 2025 the highest number of apartments was approved in Girne district with 1.728; 1.401 of these were in rural areas. Famagusta follows with 1.392, Nicosia with 1.067 and İskele with 541 apartments. Since the district figures on the bulletin’s summary pages are slightly different from the tables, confirm the exact values with the Statistical Institute.

Where can I access these statistics?

The TRNC Statistical Institute publishes the Construction and Parcel Statistics bulletin every year. The 2025 bulletin was published on 7 October 2026 on the institution’s website together with PDF and Excel tables. For next year’s data, you can again follow the institution’s news section.

If you would like to assess a project’s approval and title deed stages together with official data, you can contact the Akol Global team; let us answer your questions together through the documents.

This article is for informational purposes only; it does not replace legal, tax or financial advice. Last updated: October 2026.