Compared with May 2011, new building permits inched up 2%, the data showed.
Residential constructions in rural areas made up for 67% of the new housing permits issued in May.
New permits for non-residential buildings, including administrative structures, stood at 793 units in May, up 33.7% from the previous month, but down 5.5% from the same month of last year.
In January through May, Romanian housing permits reached 14,290 units, down 3.3% on the year.