FX.co ★ US Building Permits Fall Less than Initially Thought

In February 2025, building permits in the United States experienced a 1% decline, bringing the seasonally adjusted annualized rate to 1.459 million, contrary to preliminary expectations of a 1.2% decrease to 1.456 million, as confirmed by final data. Permits for multi-unit buildings, comprising five or more units, fell by 3.8% to 461,000, which was slightly better than the initially anticipated 4.3% drop. Conversely, single-family permits increased by 0.4% to an annualized rate of 998,000, defying earlier projections of a 0.2% decrease. Across various regions, permits decreased significantly in the Northeast (-15.3% to 116,000) and the West (-6.1% to 295,000). Meanwhile, the South and Midwest saw increases, with the South rising by 1% to 806,000, and the Midwest climbing by 8% to 242,000.