Construction boom on isles of Cyclades
There has been an unprecedented explosion in construction on the Cyclades in the Aegean over the last five years, according to data from the National Statistical Service on new constructions from 2018 to 2022 on the region’s 23 inhabited islands.
In Santorini alone, the permits for new constructions and additions to existing buildings have reached the stupendous figure of 450,000 square meters. The already overbuilt islands of Mykonos and Paros, as well as Naxos, follow close behind. Specifically, new building permits since 2018 exceeded 1,000. A significant increase in “hidden” construction has also been recorded on some of the smaller islands, such as Antiparos, Koufonissi and Folegandros.
The data of the five past years refers to permits for new buildings and additions (without separating their use). Overall for the Cyclades, the number of new building permits is increasing continuously: from 916 in in 2018 to 1,280 in 2022. Area is also rising, but with a variation: from 291,722 square meters in 2018 and 303,672 sq.m. in 2019, the figure dropped in 2020 to 257,756 sq.m. before it shot up in 2021 to 398,244 sq.m. and 419,232 sq.m. in 2022.
According to Thanos Pagonis, an associate professor of urban planning at the National Technical University of Athens, these figures do not give the full picture, as they do not include the illegal constructions that were granted an amnesty – a very important part of the “hidden” increase of the built-up area of the islands. “In any case, we see that demand in the Cyclades is high. The figures confirm the take-off of construction interest for many islands after the financial crisis and the tourist boom that followed,” he said.
