In Jyväskylä, buildings equivalent to 14 british football fields were completed last year

– The construction industry is still going through a recession, which is particularly evident in housing construction. There is a slight increase in job construction compared to last year, and this is a very positive signal. Projects with a particularly large area and a certain amount of statistical distortion were not granted permits last year, says Chief Building Inspector Mikko Holmberg. 

More buildings were completed than in the year before 

The volume of the buildings completed last year is 532,283 m³, which corresponds to approximately 250–340 floors of apartment buildings, i.e. the same number as in the 25–34 ten-storey buildings combined. The number is about 55 per cent higher than in the previous year. The growth is particularly visible in commercial, industrial and assembly construction compared to last year.

– The completion of Huhtahalli will increase the volume of completed buildings in a distorting way, which explains the significant increase in volume compared to 2024, Holmberg explains.

The completed buildings are mainly residential, commercial and assembly buildings. However, examined by floor area, the number of residential buildings is the largest; slightly more than half of all construction. A total of 700 apartments were completed in 2025 and 693 in 2024. 

Last year, the Lohikoski daycare centre, the Lahjaharju nursing home and the Keljonkatu service home were completed for the use of the residents. Other significant completed projects include the P-paraati parking garage, the Seppälänkangas hydrogen filling station and business premises, such as Keljo´s Puuilo. Last year, construction permits were granted to the Aatoksenkatu water tower and Jyväskylän autotarvike, among others. 
 

Decrease in the number of permits compared to the previous year 

In 2025, building permits were granted for the construction of 413 new dwellings, and in 2024, construction permits were granted for 738 new dwellings. This is a decrease of about 44 per cent compared to the previous year. The number of permit decisions, on the other hand, fell by 27.5 per cent from the 2024 figure. 

In terms of square metres, new building permits were granted for 93,441 square metres, which corresponds to approximately 13 football fields. The total volume granted of 606,244 m³ corresponds to approximately 220–300 floors of an apartment building, i.e. the total number of floors of a ten-storey building, for example, 22–30. The share of residential buildings is the largest, but the growth is most seen in industrial and commercial construction. 

– The raising of the permit threshold in construction legislation had a significant impact on the number of construction permits, dropping smaller permit applications. The area of construction was almost all year 2025 ahead of the statistics for 2024, but in December 2024, there was a clear spike in construction permit applications due to uncertainty about ARA funding. This pushed 2024 slightly ahead of 2025 in terms of construction volumes, says Holmberg.