The number of housing permits shows a 6% increase, while the number of building permits fell 6% compared to the first quarter of 2004. In Budapest, the number of new homes that received a housing permit close to tripled compared to last year, and 150% more building permits were issued than in the same period last year. Outside the capital both numbers show a decline of around 23%, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.

In the first three months of 2005, 39% of new apartments that received a housing permit were built in Budapest, while 19% was built in Pest County, which surrounds the capital. About 90% of the new homes in Budapest were built for sale at an average 53-square meter size. Countrywide, close to half of new homes were built for sale by companies, and more new homes were built as part of residential developments than as detached houses.