On 6 November Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute (NSI) published preliminary data on residential buildings completed and put into use in the third quarter of 2026. This follows our report on the second quarter: then we looked at what reached the market in April–June; now we look at what was added in July–September.
The short version: slightly more buildings than in the previous quarter, but almost a fifth fewer homes than a year earlier. The market is getting more houses and fewer apartments.
All figures are NSI data, verified as of November 2026. Comparisons with earlier periods and derived ratios are our own arithmetic on NSI data.
In the third quarter of 2026 the following were put into use:
| Q3 2025 | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings | 1,392 | 1,269 | 1,330 |
| Dwellings | 6,478 | 5,932 | 5,325 |
| Average living space per dwelling | 69.9 sq m | 64.2 sq m | 72.0 sq m |
Against Q3 2025, buildings are down 4.5% and dwellings down 17.8%. Against Q2 2026, buildings are up 4.8% but dwellings down 10.2%.
Over the first nine months of 2026 a total of 15,408 dwellings were completed (4,151 + 5,932 + 5,325 by quarter).
How can the number of buildings rise while the number of homes falls? The answer is the type of construction. Each completed building now carries on average about 4.0 dwellings — against roughly 4.7 in the second quarter and roughly 4.7 a year earlier.
The NSI reports that 76.8% of new buildings are houses and 16.2% apartment buildings (75.4% and 16.4% in Q3 2025). The share of houses is growing, and a house adds one or two homes where a block adds dozens.
That is also why average living space is back above 70 sq m: houses are larger than apartments and pull the average up.
Two- and three-room homes still account for close to three quarters of new supply. By structure, 73.8% of buildings are reinforced concrete, 23.2% brick and just 0.4% prefabricated panel.
| Region | Buildings | Dwellings | Dwellings per building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia (capital) | 205 | 1,893 | ≈ 9.2 |
| Plovdiv | 202 | 480 | ≈ 2.4 |
| Varna | 146 | 545 | ≈ 3.7 |
Sofia remains the main source of new homes — about 36% of the quarter's total. Compared with a year earlier (233 buildings, 2,081 dwellings), however, the capital delivered 9.0% fewer homes, and 7.5% fewer than in the second quarter (2,046).
Plovdiv shows the shift most clearly: almost the same number of buildings as a year ago (206), but 480 homes against 846 — down 43.3%. What is being completed there is mostly houses and small buildings, not apartment blocks.
Varna added 545 homes — more than the 441 of the second quarter.
By average living space per dwelling, the largest new homes are in Silistra (126.9 sq m) and Sofia (117.3 sq m), the smallest in Burgas (52.4 sq m) and Razgrad (57.3 sq m). Burgas keeps building the compact units typical of the coastal market.
1. New apartment supply in the big cities is shrinking. Fewer completed homes means fewer finished apartments that a buyer can view, inspect and finance with an ordinary mortgage. That supports prices for completed new-build even with fewer transactions.
2. The next quarters will not bring a sharp change. Third-quarter building permits covered 36% fewer homes than a year earlier — see our building permits report. A thinner pipeline at the start of the cycle reaches completion two to three years later (indicative, from our own practice).
3. For resale sellers this is an argument, not a guarantee. Thinner new supply helps a well-kept apartment in an established neighbourhood — but only if it is priced for today's market, with fewer buyers.
4. Houses outside the city are a growing share of new construction. For buyers that means more choice among houses around the major cities — and more need to check zoning, road access and utilities before buying.
The third quarter of 2026 delivered 5,325 new homes — 17.8% fewer than a year earlier and 10.2% fewer than the previous quarter. There are more buildings, but smaller ones: the share of houses is rising, and Plovdiv added almost half as many homes as a year ago. Sofia still leads, but it too is delivering less.
If you are looking for a completed new-build home, or selling and want to know what new supply is coming to your area — call us or visit the office. We will look at the specific neighbourhood and tell you what the data says about it.
Preliminary NSI data for Q3 2026, published 6 November 2026; compared with NSI data for Q3 2025 and Q2 2026. Verified as of November 2026. Figures are indicative and may be revised by the NSI.
