The number of residential building permits in Romania decreased by 4.1 percent in the first eight months of 2012 compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute (INS).
Significant decreases were seen in northeastern Romania (-339 permits), the South-Muntenia region (-304 permits), southeastern Romania (-276 permits) as well as the northwestern part of the country (-230 permits).
According to the INS data, increases in residential building permits were recorded in the west of the country (172 permits) and in central Romania (41 permits).
In August, 3,993 permits were issued, up 3.6 percent from the previous month but down 8.1 percent compared with August 2011. Of the total permits issued in August, 69.2 percent are for rural areas.
