The number of permits for housing construction in Germany fell far short of the target in July, with only 17,000 new homes approved.
That is 19.2% less than in the same month a year ago, the Federal Statistics Office reported on Wednesday.
This meant that the decline was slightly greater than in June, when the number of permits fell by 19% compared to a year earlier.
In the first seven months of this year, the number of permits for 123,600 new homes was 20.8% lower than in the same period last year.
The federal government aims to build 400,000 new homes each year.
The decline was strongest for single-family homes: 22,100 building permits were issued from January to July, 28.4% fewer than in the first seven months of last year.
High construction costs and expensive financing are accused of hampering the supply of new housing.
