The National Agency for Statistics and Demography (Ansd) announced that the cost of building new residential homes rose by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2024, compared to that of the previous quarter.

The evolution of the cost of building new residential housing is essentially the result of the increase in the cost of “labor” according to the Ansd. The increase in the “workforce” (+1.0%) continued in the second quarter of 2024. The costs of “renting equipment” increased by 0.6% on a quarterly basis, due to the increase in those of iron props (+2.3%) and, to a lesser extent, wooden planks (+0.3%) and wooden rafters (+0.3%). Compared to those of the second quarter of 2023, rental costs increased by 7.0%. Prices for waterproofing materials fell by 0.8% on a quarterly basis, following the fall in prices of bitumen felt (-0.9%). In annual variation, they fall by 2.1%. The drop in the prices of basic materials (-0.5%) is due to the decrease in the prices of concrete iron (-1.3%), sand (-0.4%), gravel (-0.3%) and ordinary cement (-0.1%) as well as ordinary cement (-0.1%). Compared to their level in the second quarter of 2023, prices fell by 5.5%.