Average apartment size in top Indian cities increased by 7%, except for MMR: Report

Real estate builders in the top seven cities have considerably increased the size of apartments, given a demand for larger living spaces. The average apartment size in top seven cities increased by seven per cent since 2018 except for MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) where property sizes have shrunk by 20 per cent during the same period, a report by real estate consultant Anarock said.

What does the data reveal?

According to the report, the average size increased from 1,150 sq ft in 2018 to approximately 1,225 sq ft in first quarter of 2023. In 2022, the average size stood at 1,185 sq ft as compared to 1,170 sp ft in 2021. 

"MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) is the only city where average flat sizes reduced in the last five years - from 932 sq ft in 2018 to 743 sq ft in first quarter of 2023.  In these five years, only 2020 saw average flat sizes in MMR an annual rise of 21 per cent against 2019. Since 2020, homes in the region are shrinking," says Anuj Puri, Chairman, Anarock Group.

“Before Covid-19, apartment sizes were shrinking annually to meet the demand for compact homes prevalent then," Puri adds.

"The central concerns were affordability and millennials’ preference for low-maintenance homes. 2020 saw an abrupt reversal of buyer preferences. With a sudden emphasis on the WFH and study-from-home culture, flat sizes began increasing for the first time in four years,” Puri says.

The report reveals that the NCR (Near Capital Region) saw the highest growth in average flat size in the last five years- from approximately 1,250 sq ft in 2018 to 1,700 sq ft in first quarter of 2023. 

When compared to Mumbai, these two states and their prominent cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad can offer much bigger and more friendly real estate to the consumers. This is the main reason why developers in the area are looking for more scope and possibilities in the NCR region.

But when it comes to comparison, Hyderabad has the highest average flat size at approx. 2,200 sq ft in Q1 2023, followed by NCR with approx. 1,700 sq ft. Other metros like Chennai and Bengaluru offer an average size of 1,175 and 13,000 sq ft respectively. Kolkata offers an average size of approximately 1,150 sq ft and Pune offers 1,013 sq ft.

Trend since 2018

The average flat size in the top seven cities that include NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and MMR increased from 1,150 sq ft in 2018 to 1,225 sq ft in Q1 2023.  The report further highlights the trends in different cities since 2018.

The figures above can also be linked to the fact that Chennai and MMR are densely populated cities with multiple industries. The shrinking of sizes in these two metros is the result of the demand and the facilities it possesses as compared to the others. While MMR remains very expensive, Chennai is a bit more cost-effective.