Housing starts rose 8% in the first half of 2026

Housing construction in Sweden increased during the first six months of the year. Preliminary figures from Statistics Sweden show that construction started on around 15,350 dwellings in new buildings during the first half of 2026, an increase of 8% compared with the same period in 2025. The increase was driven by multi-dwelling buildings. A total of 12,700 dwellings were started in multi-dwelling buildings, including special housing, which was 16% more than a year earlier. Of these, 2,400 were special-housing dwellings. In contrast, construction of one- and two-dwelling buildings declined. Around 2,650 such dwellings were started, down 18% year on year. Conversion projects in multi-dwelling buildings also produced a net addition of about 600 dwellings, compared with 1,070 in the first half of 2025. Statistics Sweden notes that the figures are preliminary because municipal reporting is subject to delays. For 2026, started new construction has therefore been adjusted upward by 8%, while started conversions have been adjusted upward by 38%.