A total of 2,654 building licenses were issued in the fourth quarter of 2019 which included 2,007 for new buildings.
    
The total number of building licenses issued in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased by 20% compared with the third quarter of 2019 and increased by 2% compared with the fourth quarter of 2018, where the number of new building licenses increased by 38% compared with the third quarter of 2019 and increased by 28% compared with the fourth quarter of 2018.
    
The area of licensed buildings (residential and non-residential) totaled 1,181 thousand m2, of which new buildings made up 1,065 thousand m2 and existing buildings comprised 116 thousand m2.
    
The total number of licensed dwellings was 5,280 with a total area of 860 thousand m2, of which 4,685 were new dwellings with a total area of 765 thousand m2 and 595 were existing dwellings with a total area of 95 thousand m2.
    
The number of new dwellings in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased by 45% compared with the third quarter of 2019 and increased by 11% compared with the fourth quarter of 2018.


*Data excluded those parts of Jerusalem which were annexed by Israeli occupation in 1967.