Compared with March 2011, new building permits fell 6.8%, the data showed.
Residential constructions in rural areas made up for 67% of the new housing permits issued in March.
New building permits for non-residential buildings, including administrative structures, stood at 556 units in March, up 32.7% from the previous month, but down 11.5% from the same month of last year.
In January through March, Romanian housing permits reached 6,875 units, down 7% on the year.