After a weak end to 2024, permit activity picked up markedly in 2025. According to the State Statistics Office, the number of permits issued in April 2025 rose by 38.9% y/y in April, 80.4% y/y in May, and 15.1% y/y in June; while the expected value of properties in June was 47.1% higher than a year earlier. This forms the “substrate” for future project launches, primarily in the Skopje agglomeration.
New residential construction costs in Q2 2025 rose by 1.1% qoq, but were 0.3% lower yoy – the effect of normalization of material prices and a gradual cooling of costs after the 2022-2023 peak. Bottom line for construction: permits are accelerating, but the effect in the form of “commissioning” will manifest itself with a lag in 2025/26; production costs are stabilizing, which reduces pressure on developers’ budgets.
Rental: steady demand in Skopje; short-term segment active
Long-term rents in the capital are holding at elevated levels: benchmarks for Skopje in early September are around €300 for a studio, €400 for a 1-bedroom and €550 for a 2-bedroom apartment (based on average “asking” rates).
Sales and prices: indices accelerated
The house price index rose from 170.5 points in Q1 2025 to 184.1 points in Q2 2025. Back in March (Q1), annual price growth was ≈19.4% y/y, confirming an acceleration phase beyond 2023-2024 (data from aggregators based on NBRSM statistics).
Bottom line on sales/price: demand is focused on Skopje and quality locations; limited commissioning and cheaper financing in the Western Balkans region (on the background of moderate monetary policy) support prices in H2.
Outlook for the next 6-12 months
Prices: baseline scenario – moderate growth (shortage of new buildings + concentration of demand in Skopje), rates – below H1 peaks.
Rents: plateau at elevated levels in the center of Skopje; possible “sawtooth” in months due to seasonality and STR. Construction: “traffic jam” between permits and actual starts will persist until 2026; cost normalization reduces risks for new queues.
http://relocation.com.ua/north-macedonia-housing-price-analysis/
