The wait for a new apartment in Israel is getting longer. Updated data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) published on Thursday, shows that the average time to complete a building stands at 31.4 months - compared to just 27.6 months last year. In large projects, the situation is even more severe: the average has risen to 36.3 months, compared to 33 months the previous year.
In other words, a full three years. But in reality, it’s much longer. Most buyers enter the deal “on paper,” sometimes even before the developer holds a building permit. This means that the actual construction begins months or even years after the contract is signed. When the actual construction time is added, occupancy usually occurs only four to five years after purchase.
Alongside the lengthening construction period, fewer apartments are reaching the market: the data indicate a decline in the number of units that have been completed. Between July 2024 and June 2025, only 54,760 apartments were completed - a decrease of nearly 5% compared to the previous year. This means that even when the public hears about more and more new projects, too few of them actually enter the market.
Construction Starts at a Peak - but Momentum Weakens
On the other hand, construction starts have actually reached a peak: 76,480 new apartments began in the past year, a surge of more than 22% compared to the previous year.
However, behind this peak lies a less encouraging story: in the second quarter of 2025, the pace of starts slowed, raising concerns that the impressive increase at the beginning of the year was a temporary anomaly. This means that the high annual figure does not necessarily reflect a sustained trend, and the slowdown is already being felt on the ground.
Who Is Affected? As Usual, Mainly Young People
For young couples and early-stage families, this data translates into a harsh daily reality. A new apartment purchased “on paper” will be delayed for many years, and in the meantime, they continue to pay high rent that only keeps rising, and sometimes mortgage repayments as well.
The impact is twofold: first, monthly expenses swell and weigh heavily on young households. Second, uncertainty becomes the norm - they don’t know when they will move into the new apartment, how much longer they will need to rent, or how much it will ultimately cost them to maintain both living arrangements simultaneously. The feeling is that the dream of owning a home is slipping further away, even for those who have already signed a contract.