Thiruvananthapuram district records highest density of new buildings in 2022-23

Thiruvananthapuram district leads in new building density, reflecting urban growth and need for sustainable urban planning in Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram district recorded the highest density of new buildings in 2022-23, with 56,709 building units, making it 34 new buildings per square kilometre, as per the building statistics published by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics last week. Across Kerala, 4,39,857 new buildings were registered in the year.

By absolute numbers, Malappuram district leads the list with 62,576 newly constructed buildings, but is second to the capital city in density with 25 new buildings per square kilometre. Across Kerala (excluding forested regions), the average density of new buildings is 16 per square kilometre. The high density in the capital, the report notes, indicates concentrated construction activity likely driven by urbanisation and economic growth. Thiruvananthapuram also ranks the highest in terms of house density at 642.45 houses per square kilometre.

According to the report, the density of newly constructed buildings in districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Ernakulam highlight the need for meticulous urban planning and addressing issues such as traffic management, waste disposal and green spaces to maintain a sustainable living environment.

In this financial year, the highest number of dwelling houses was constructed in Thiruvananthapuram district with 49,606 such constructions. The district also goes against the general trend with the number of dwelling houses newly built in urban areas exceeding rural areas, while it is the reverse in all other districts. Among Corporations, Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of total habitable houses, while Kannur has the least. For the fiscal year 2022-2023, Ernakulam district leads in the construction of new industrial buildings, underscoring its status as an industrial hub. Nemom block in Thiruvananthapuram district was the block panchayat with the highest number of buildings constructed in 2022-23 with 6,081 constructions.

Across all districts in Kerala, the Building Construction Cost Index (BCCI) shows a consistent upward trend from 2011-12 to 2022-23. This indicates an overall rise in construction costs due to factors like inflation, labour cost increase, building construction materials price hike. The highest increase in BCCI is observed in Idukki district and lowest in Thiruvananthapuram district.

The construction sector in Kerala experienced notable growth in the fiscal year 2022-23 with the number of buildings constructed in 2022-23 recording a 11.13% increase compared to the previous year. Data for 2021-22 and 2022-23 indicated that not only has the construction sector in Kerala rebounded, but it has also surpassed previous records of the number of constructions per year. Out of the 4.39 lakh new buildings across the State, 3.18 lakh (72.21%) are residential while 1.22 lakh (27.78%) are non-residential constructions.