Demand for housing in the months January to September 2009 is 9% higher than it was in the same period in 2008, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The numbers also show that in October 2009, the demand was for about 2,490 units of new housing. Of these, about 1,350 apartments were sold to the general public, and about 1,140 were sold for the investors' own use.
The level of demand in October was 19% higher than the demand in October 2008, the first month of the fourth quarter of 2008, which was characterized by especially low levels of activity in real estate.
About 34% of the total demand for new apartments in January-October 2009 was in the Central District, 19% in the Northern District and 13% in the Tel Aviv District. The demand for housing in the Haifa District rose by 27.5%, and in the Central District by 18%. The Jerusalem District (12.1%), Southern District (10.6%) and Northern District (4.9%) showed more modest rises.
However, demand for new housing in Tel Aviv sank by 8.9% and by 3.4% in Judea and Samaria. The number of new apartments for sale in private initiative construction is down: in late October 2009 it was at 7,850 apartments, a 27% dip compared to late October 2008.