India's Top Cities Witness 17% Surge in Average Apartment Sizes Over Two Years
In a significant shift in India's residential real estate landscape, average apartment sizes across the nation's top seven cities have expanded by 17% over the past two years. According to a recent report by Anarock Research, the average unit size increased from 1,420 square feet in 2023 to approximately 1,656 square feet in 2025. This growth is largely attributed to homebuyers increasingly gravitating towards larger configurations, such as 3-4BHK layouts, dedicated study spaces, and lifestyle-led designs that cater to evolving needs.
Kolkata Defies National Upsizing Wave with Minimal Growth
While most major cities experienced substantial increases, Kolkata moved in the opposite direction of this national upsizing trend. The city registered the lowest growth among the seven cities, with average unit size rising just 2%—from 1,124 square feet in 2023 to 1,151 square feet in 2025. Notably, the average had already reached 1,149 square feet in 2024, highlighting how marginal the change was over the period. Pune was the only other market to see single-digit growth, with a 5% increase from 1,070 square feet to 1,119 square feet.
This near-flat trajectory in Kolkata has widened its gap compared to the broader market. In 2023, Kolkata's average home size was about 20% smaller than the top-seven city average; by 2025, that difference expanded to roughly 30%, as other cities accelerated into larger formats driven by premium and luxury segments.
Analysts Attribute Divergence to Price Bands and Product Mix
An analyst at Anarock Research explained the divergence, stating, "The sharp rise in average sizes in most major markets is driven by a growing share of premium and luxury homes priced above Rs 1.5 crore, where larger configurations are standard. Kolkata remains dominated by sub-Rs 1 crore demand, with 2BHKs continuing to anchor buyer preference." The report reinforced this point, noting that in 2025, more than 64% of Kolkata's new supply of 18,590 units was in the sub-Rs 80 lakh bracket, which naturally limits size expansion due to the affordable-to-mid segment skew.
Market Dynamics: End-User vs. Investor-Driven Trends
Kolkata is essentially an end-user-driven market, whereas cities like Bengaluru have seen increased investor interest in recent years post-Covid. For instance, several Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) view Kolkata as a viable option for returning to India, often seeking larger homes with state-of-the-art lifestyle amenities. Additionally, in Bengaluru, first-time homebuyers are opting for bigger homes due to hybrid work models, further boosting demand for spacious layouts.
Despite its slower growth, Kolkata's average of 1,151 square feet is not small in absolute terms for an affordable-led market. It remains higher than the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's 904 square feet and sits close to Pune's 1,119 square feet. The key difference lies in other cities rapidly adding larger, premium inventory and experiencing stronger demand for 3BHK and 4BHK homes, which Kolkata's market has yet to embrace widely.
