In December alone, the number of permits were down 1.2% from the previous month, at 2,682 units.
However, the number of new residential building permits was up 5.1% compared with December 2013, the data showed.
Residential constructions in rural areas made up for 64.9% of the new permits issued in December 2014.
New permits for non-residential buildings, including administrative structures, were at 531 units, from 608 units in November.