A quarter of new homes will be built in four major cities
The Land Registry also sees a sharp shift towards smaller flats.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
More than a quarter of homes with planning permission or already under construction are planned for Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. That is according to an analysis by the Land Registry.
The four largest municipalities accounted for 18 per cent of new-build homes over the past five years. In current plans, that share is 27 per cent, according to the Land Registry. The Land Registry says planned construction in Noord-Brabant is also concentrated mainly around larger cities, including Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda and Den Bosch.
The nature of the building plans is also changing. Three-quarters of the homes to be built in the coming years are flats. Over the past five years, the figure was about half. Among homes for sale, the share of flats rises from 17 to 42 per cent, according to the analysis.
The flats are becoming smaller on average. Ten years ago, 22 per cent of the flats in the plans were larger than 90 square metres; in the current pipeline, the figure is 13 per cent. Houses are also becoming smaller: 22 per cent of planned homes are smaller than 100 square metres, compared with 9 per cent five to ten years ago.
The Land Registry bases its analysis on homes that already have planning permission or where construction has begun. It is therefore not a forecast of all future construction, but of the composition of the current housing stock under construction and in the plans.
The research does not establish the causes of the shift. At the same time, supply may be less well suited to households looking for an affordable house.
The figures do not show how many of the homes will be social rented, mid-market rented or affordable homes for sale. Nor does the analysis show whether all permitted projects will actually be built on time. The research does show that permitted and started housing construction is more heavily concentrated in the four major cities and consists largely of flats.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Planned new-build housing is becoming more concentrated in the four largest cities.
- The share of flats is increasing.
- Planned homes are becoming smaller on average.
- The analysis covers permitted or already started projects.
Left
Arguments More urban and affordable housing is needed to reduce waiting lists and long commutes. The government should ensure provision of social rented housing, mid-market rented housing and enough space for families.
Values Affordability, social equality and access to the city.
Consequences Without public conditions, additional construction could mainly produce expensive homes, leaving lower-income groups dependent on scarce social housing.
Centre
Arguments Construction should be accelerated where infrastructure and services can support it, with a mix of housing types. Councils, developers and housing associations should co-ordinate their plans more effectively.
Values Deliverability, spatial quality and balance.
Consequences An urban focus can be efficient, but requires investment in public transport, schools and healthcare.
Right
Arguments Building more is more important than continually introducing new rules on housing types and prices. Councils should give developers room to operate so that supply can grow more quickly.
Values Ownership, market forces and fewer administrative obstacles.
Consequences Faster planning approvals could increase output, but without safeguards it remains uncertain whether supply will become affordable enough.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main percentages and the basis of the analysis have been attributed by ANP to the Land Registry. Statistics Netherlands confirms the broader construction context, but not all the specific percentages in the new research.
- confirmed The share accounted for by the four major cities rises from 18 to 27 per cent — According to the Land Registry analysis as described by ANP. source
- confirmed Three-quarters of planned homes are flats — According to the latest Land Registry analysis. source
- confirmed The figures concern homes with planning permission or already under construction — Mentioned in ANP’s description of the research. source
Editor's note
The latest percentages come from the Land Registry analysis described by ANP. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) provides independent context on Dutch housebuilding, but does not publish the same analysis.Sources
- Onderzoek Kadaster: kwart nieuwbouw komt in vier grote steden — ANP via Zeelandnet
- Bouwen en wonen — CBS
- Meer nieuwbouw van woningcorporaties in 2025 — CBS