Experts have recorded a decrease in the average area of new apartments in St. Petersburg

The average area of apartments in new residential complexes in St. Petersburg has decreased by 3 square meters over the past three years. This was reported on August 4 by the Delovoy Peterburg newspaper, after reviewing the data from the Unified Resource of Developers (ERZ).

"In June 2022, the average area of an apartment was 43.5 square meters, but now it is only 40.5 square meters. In Russia as a whole, this figure is 48.7 sq. m. The decrease in the studio segment is particularly noticeable: previously, their average area was 30 sq. m. Now it rarely exceeds 24-25 square meters," the publication says.

According to Angelika Alshayeva, Commercial Director of KVS Group, demand is transforming: many buyers are focused on affordable housing, especially in the segment of first-time real estate or apartments for rent. A decrease in purchasing power affects the supply structure, and developers adapt the product to meet real payment demand.

Maria Orlova, Commercial Director of the A101 Group of Companies in St. Petersburg, emphasizes that the trend has affected all housing classes. She clarified that "even in business class, where 5-10 years ago the average square footage was more than 100 square meters. m was considered the norm, and we are seeing the emergence of studio lines and compact one– and two-bedroom apartments."

Defect market: The Russian Armed Forces has opened the door to compensation for defects in construction

Now the legal successors will also be able to demand that the developer eliminate the shortcomings.

The reduction occurs mainly due to auxiliary zones. In the mass segment, the standard kitchen used to occupy 10-12 square meters, now it is 8-10 square meters. In studios, kitchens are combined with living rooms. Living rooms have become more compact: bedrooms rarely exceed 10-12 square meters, children's rooms — no more than 12 square meters. Corridors have either been reduced to a minimum or disappeared due to open layouts. Bathrooms in new projects are more often combined and occupy about 3.75 sq. m. m instead of the previous 5-6 sq . m .

Orlova noted that the disappearance of the "luxury of emptiness" is compensated by functionality: modern layouts retain functionality even with smaller sizes. In the bathrooms, despite their compactness, there is still room for a full-fledged bathtub, sink and household appliances. The living areas are organized to accommodate dressing areas.

"Yes, if meters are saved, it is primarily by reducing corridors and auxiliary areas, but not at the expense of comfort. We use the Euro format, which is popular with customers: a combined kitchen–living room allows you to create a common space for communication and relaxation. Moreover, our layouts take into account Russian habits and differ from their Western counterparts: the bedrooms are isolated, and access to them is through the hallway, not directly through the living room. This provides more comfort and privacy," says Alshayeva.

Common functional spaces are also actively developing: coworking spaces, laundries, hobby rooms. This allows you to reduce the load on personal premises, freeing the living area from the living areas. For example, a washing machine can be placed in a shared laundry room, and a workplace can be located in a coworking space.

Under the housekeeper's roof: prices for ready-made private houses fell by 15%

But the active demand for such real estate remains only in the premium segment.

"Reducing the size of apartments is a clear trend, I think it will continue. It's a matter of budget: the smaller the apartments, the more willing people are to buy them. Modern people need the apartment itself less and less. We see a reduction in bedrooms, the transfer of communications, the elimination of unnecessary corridors. Demographics also have an impact: the number of single—person households is growing, especially in large cities," said Maxim Yeltsov, CEO of the company.

TrendAgent platform data confirms this dynamic. Maria Ivanova, Sales Director of the service, said that "the average square footage of a transaction in 2025 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region is 39 m, which is 2 m less than a year earlier. First of all, the decrease is due to a decrease in living rooms. A large proportion of transactions take place in euroformat apartments, where customers value the vastness of the kitchen–living room more than the size of the bedroom. Bathrooms and entrance areas are also decreasing — developers are building compact niches at the entrance and minimal bathrooms."

As specified, the Ministry of Construction recommended in 2025 recommended to adhere to the standards: 36 sq.m. m for studio apartments and 49 sq. m. m — for two-room apartments. In Moscow and the Leningrad region, the minimum size of studios is set at 28 sq. m. These measures are aimed at avoiding the appearance of too cramped and uncomfortable housing.

On July 29, analysts at Metrium recorded a record decrease in the share of mortgage transactions in the primary market of "old" Moscow in the first half of 2025. This is the lowest result since the first half of 2019, when the indicator dropped to 47%. At the same time, the share of mortgage transactions in the premium class sank to a minimum in the history of the market - 16%.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.