After two quarters of decline, the number of construction permits issued by Bulgarian authorities in the second quarter of 2008 rose by 24 per cent to 4355, data from the National Statistical Institute data showed on August 21.

Residential developments continued to account for the largest share of the total, with 2694 permits granted for a total area of 1.65 million sq m, compared to 2267 permits granted for total area of area of 1.58 million sq m in the previous quarter. The number of permits for administrative buildings went up to 108 from 78.

Plovdiv region received the highest number of permits - 528, up from 433 in the previous quarter. Varna region recorded an increase to 419 permits from 364, while the number of permits issued in Sofia was 358, compared with 342 in the previous quarter. Bourgas region, which topped the table in terms of permits issued in the previous three quarters, received 304 permits, down from 465 in January-March.

The four cities accounted for 37 per cent of all building permits, including 41 per cent of all residential ones for a total area of more than 872 400 sq m (53 per cent of total).