France's construction sector generated 361 billion euros in turnover. Renovation permits now represent 55 percent of total authorizations. These patterns coincide with rising material costs and persistent labor shortages across the industry.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 278,000 residential building permits were issued in France.
- Average construction cost per m² for housing was €2,100 in 2023.
- In 2022, France's construction workforce totaled 1,482,000 direct employees, representing 5.4% of total employment.
- In 2022, the French construction industry's total turnover reached €361 billion, marking a 4.2% increase from 2021 driven by residential and infrastructure projects.
- Carbon emissions from construction totaled 45 MtCO2eq in 2022, 10% of national total.
French construction activity shows steady growth as demand rises, supported by stronger investment and hiring.
Related reading
01 · Category
Building Permits & Projects24 stats
01
In 2022, 278,000 residential building permits were issued in France.
02
Total surface area authorized for housing construction was 390,000 m² in 2023.
03
New non-residential building permits numbered 12,500 in 2022.
04
Housing starts reached 260,000 units in 2023, down 5% from 2022.
05
Infrastructure project pipeline valued at €150 billion for 2023-2030.
06
45,000 permits for individual houses issued in Q1-Q3 2023.
07
Commercial building completions totaled 1.2 million m² in 2022.
08
Renovation permits represented 55% of total authorizations in 2023.
09
Grand Paris Express projects include 68 new stations by 2030.
10
112,000 social housing units started in 2022.
11
Energy renovation projects authorized: 1.2 million in 2023.
12
New office space permits: 800,000 m² in 2022.
13
Logistics warehouse permits covered 2.5 million m² in 2023.
14
Hospital construction projects: 25 major sites active in 2022.
15
Collective housing permits: 95,000 units in 2023.
16
Road infrastructure permits for 1,200 km new lanes in 2023-2025.
17
School building permits: 450 projects funded in 2022.
18
Data center construction permits: 15 new facilities in 2023.
19
Wind farm construction: 2 GW capacity permitted in 2022.
20
Hotel construction starts: 18,000 rooms in 2023.
21
Retail space permits: 650,000 m² authorized in 2022.
22
Stadium renovations: 12 major projects underway in 2023.
23
Underground parking permits for 50,000 spaces in 2022.
24
University campus expansions: 20 sites permitted in 2023.
Interpretation
Building Permits & Projects Interpretation
France's construction industry is thoroughly renovating its own character, where over half of all permits now focus on improving what already exists, yet it still manages to simultaneously lay the literal and figurative foundations for everything from massive infrastructure and a housing surge to new warehouses and wind farms.
02 · Category
Costs & Prices24 stats
01
Average construction cost per m² for housing was €2,100 in 2023.
02
Material costs in construction rose 12.5% in 2022.
03
Labor costs per hour in construction averaged €32.50 in 2023.
04
Steel prices for construction increased 18% to €1,200/tonne in 2022.
05
Cement production cost rose to €120/tonne in 2023.
06
Residential building cost index up 4.8% in 2023 (base 2015=100).
07
Energy costs for construction sites surged 25% in 2022.
08
Tender price inflation for new builds was 5.2% in 2023.
09
Wood prices per m³ increased 15% to €650 in 2022.
10
Electrical installation costs per m²: €180 in 2023.
11
Asphalt price for roads hit €90/tonne in 2023.
12
Overall construction cost index reached 128.5 in 2023 (2010=100).
13
Plumbing costs averaged €45,000 per housing unit in 2022.
14
Glass and insulation material costs up 10% to €25/m² in 2023.
15
Heavy equipment rental rates rose 8% to €150/hour in 2022.
16
Non-residential cost per m²: €2,800 in Paris region 2023.
17
MaPrimeRénov' subsidies covered €3.2 billion in renovation costs 2023.
18
Transport costs for materials increased 11% in 2022.
19
HVAC system costs: €120/m² for new offices in 2023.
20
Demolition costs per m² averaged €150 in urban areas 2022.
21
Paint and finishing costs rose to €35/m² in 2023.
22
Crane rental daily rate: €1,200 for 50m boom in 2022.
23
Roofing costs per m²: €220 for slate in 2023.
24
Land acquisition costs for housing: €450/m² average 2023.
Interpretation
Costs & Prices Interpretation
The French construction industry is currently building castles in the air, only to find the air, along with everything else—materials, labor, and even the cranes to lift them—has become alarmingly expensive.
03 · Category
Employment & Workforce26 stats
01
In 2022, France's construction workforce totaled 1,482,000 direct employees, representing 5.4% of total employment.
02
Construction unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2023, above national average of 7.4%.
03
38% of construction workers were aged over 50 in 2022, highlighting aging workforce.
04
Women represented 12.5% of the construction sector workforce in 2023.
05
Average annual salary in construction was €38,500 in 2022.
06
285,000 self-employed workers operated in construction in 2023.
07
Apprentice numbers in construction reached 52,000 in 2022, up 5%.
08
Labor shortages affected 65% of construction firms in 2023 survey.
09
Temporary workers made up 18% of construction employment in 2022.
10
42% of workers had vocational training qualifications in 2023.
11
Construction employment grew 1.2% to 1.51 million in 2023.
12
Foreign workers comprised 15.3% of construction labor force in 2022.
13
Overtime hours in construction averaged 120 per worker annually in 2023.
14
22,000 new jobs created in construction in 2022 net.
15
Managers represented 8.7% of workforce, totaling 130,000 in 2023.
16
Absenteeism rate in construction was 6.8% in 2022.
17
75% of firms reported recruitment difficulties for skilled trades in 2023.
18
Youth under 25 made up 9.2% of construction employees in 2022.
19
Average workweek in construction was 36.8 hours in 2023.
20
310,000 intermittent workers active in construction in 2022.
21
Wage growth in construction was 3.4% in 2023.
22
14% of workforce in executive roles, up from 12% in 2019.
23
Training hours per employee averaged 28 in construction 2022.
24
Construction job vacancy rate was 4.2% in Q3 2023.
25
Plumbers and electricians shortages hit 45,000 positions unfilled in 2023.
26
Part-time employment was 4.5% in construction in 2022.
Interpretation
Employment & Workforce Interpretation
France's construction sector is propping up the economy while internally creaking with an aging, predominantly male workforce, a desperate thirst for skilled younger recruits, and a heavy reliance on the self-employed and temporary labor—all while managing to offer slightly better job security than the national average and just enough wage growth to keep the hard hats from rolling into the streets.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size & Growth30 stats
01
In 2022, the French construction industry's total turnover reached €361 billion, marking a 4.2% increase from 2021 driven by residential and infrastructure projects.
02
The construction sector accounted for 5.5% of France's GDP in 2023, with a value added of €148.2 billion.
03
Between 2018 and 2022, annual growth in construction output averaged 2.8%, peaking at 6.1% in 2021 due to post-COVID recovery.
04
In Q4 2023, construction production index stood at 105.3 (2015=100), up 1.5% year-over-year.
05
The market size of new residential construction in France was valued at €78.4 billion in 2022.
06
Infrastructure construction segment grew by 3.7% in 2023, reaching €45.6 billion in turnover.
07
Overall construction investment in France hit €390 billion in 2022, including public and private spending.
08
Non-residential building construction turnover increased 5.1% to €92.3 billion in 2022.
09
Civil engineering works contributed €68.7 billion to the sector's turnover in 2023, up 2.9%.
10
The French construction market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.4% from 2023 to 2028, reaching €420 billion.
11
In 2023, building construction represented 72% of total sector turnover at €265 billion.
12
Renovation works accounted for 45% of construction activity value in 2022, totaling €162 billion.
13
Public construction spending rose to €85.4 billion in 2023, a 4.8% increase from prior year.
14
Private investment in construction reached €304 billion in 2022, dominating sector growth.
15
Construction output in new work grew 3.2% in 2023 to €210 billion.
16
The sector's value added per employee averaged €95,000 in 2022.
17
Export of construction services from France totaled €12.3 billion in 2022.
18
Digital construction market within France valued at €4.5 billion in 2023.
19
Housing construction turnover was €128 billion in 2022, 35% of total sector.
20
Commercial real estate construction hit €28.6 billion in 2023.
21
Industrial construction segment turnover reached €15.2 billion in 2022, up 6%.
22
The French construction PMI averaged 48.2 in 2023, indicating contraction.
23
Total fixed capital investment in construction was €42 billion in 2022.
24
Sector productivity grew 1.8% annually from 2019-2023.
25
Construction R&D spending amounted to €2.1 billion in 2022, 0.6% of turnover.
26
In 2023, the sector's gross operating surplus was €56.7 billion.
27
New orders in construction rose 2.1% to €380 billion in 2022.
28
The market for modular construction in France was €3.8 billion in 2023.
29
Office construction turnover declined to €18.4 billion in 2023.
30
Logistics construction boomed to €12.7 billion in 2022.
Interpretation
Market Size & Growth Interpretation
Despite the French construction sector's impressive €361 billion turnover and projected growth to €420 billion, its 2023 PMI of 48.2 quietly confesses that this economic powerhouse is building on a foundation of both booming renovation and a slightly contracting future.
05 · Category
Sustainability & Innovation24 stats
01
Carbon emissions from construction totaled 45 MtCO2eq in 2022, 10% of national total.
02
28% of construction waste recycled in France 2023.
03
Low-carbon buildings represented 15% of new starts in 2022.
04
Energy consumption in construction sector: 18% of national total in 2023.
05
65,000 RE2020 compliant housing units certified in 2023.
06
Timber construction market grew to €12 billion in 2022.
07
BIM adoption rate reached 72% in large firms by 2023.
08
Water usage in construction sites: 150 liters/m² average 2022.
09
Green building certifications (HQE/BREEAM): 2,500 projects in 2023.
10
Solar panel installations on new builds: 25% coverage in 2022.
11
Prefabricated low-energy homes: 45,000 units produced 2023.
12
Construction sector's renewable energy share: 22% in 2022.
13
Waste production: 45 million tonnes from construction in 2023.
14
Passivhaus standard projects: 1,200 certified in France by 2022.
15
Green public procurement in construction: €20 billion in 2023.
16
Modular sustainable construction: 10% market share in 2022.
17
CO2 reduction target met: 24% drop since 1990 in sector.
18
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure: 50,000 points built 2023.
19
Cradle-to-grave LCA applied in 35% of projects 2022.
20
Biodiverse green roofs: 1.5 million m² installed in 2023.
21
Zero-waste sites certification: 500 construction sites in 2022.
22
Heat pump installations in renovations: 450,000 units 2023.
23
Digital twins used in 40% of infrastructure projects 2023.
24
Recycled aggregates usage: 28% of total in 2022.
Interpretation
Sustainability & Innovation Interpretation
France's construction sector is a study in ambitious contradictions: while it proudly boasts a 24% drop in CO2 since 1990 and a burgeoning €12 billion timber market, it still coughs out 10% of the nation's emissions and generates a mountainous 45 million tonnes of waste, proving that building a sustainable future is a messy, ongoing renovation project.
Reference
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APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). French Construction Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/french-construction-industry-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "French Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/french-construction-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "French Construction Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/french-construction-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
84 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level