Germany's new‑build homes see heat‑pump share rise to 74%

According to the Federal Statistical Office, 73.6% of residential buildings completed in 2025 will primarily use heat pumps for heating, up from about 31% in 2015 – more than a two‑fold increase. The uptake is strongest in single‑ and two‑family houses, where roughly 78% will rely on heat pumps, and overall 78.2% of new homes will use renewable energy sources for heating, compared with 38% a decade earlier.

Fossil‑fuel heating is receding: natural gas will account for only about 10% of primary heating in new builds, down from over 50% in 2015, while oil‑fired systems are expected in just 0.3% of projects and district heating in roughly 8%. In the existing building stock, however, gas still dominates (53.9%), oil remains at 24.7%, and renewables make up only about 10%.

The shift supports Germany’s target of climate neutrality by 2045, as the building sector contributes roughly one‑third of national CO₂ emissions. While new‑construction trends accelerate the move away from fossil heating, retrofitting the existing building stock remains a bottleneck, prompting investors and operators to assess technical and regulatory risks for renovation portfolios.