Quarterly Housing Statistics, June 2021

The latest quarterly statistics on housebuilding and affordable housing supply have been published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

There were 17,029 new-build homes completed across all sectors in Scotland in the year to end June 2020. This is a decrease of 21% (4,439 homes) on the previous year, with activity levels being affected by the introduction of Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown measures in mid-March to late June 2020. Decreases were seen across private-led completions (23%, or 3,725 homes), housing association completions (8%, or 340 homes) and local authority completions (26%, or 374 homes).

The number of new-build homes started across all sectors also decreased in the year to end June 2020, with a total of 20,248 starts, a decrease of 14% (3,194 homes) on the previous year. Private-led starts decreased by 25% (4,221 homes) and local authority starts decreased by 9% (162 homes), while housing association approvals increased by 26% (1,189 homes).

More up-to-date figures published as part of the UK House Price Index show a total of 3,053 private new-build sales transactions in Scotland between October and December 2020. This is an increase of 645 (27%) on the 2,408 transactions recorded between July and September 2020, and an increase of 2,340 (over four times higher) on the 713 transactions seen between April and June 2020, reflecting the phased restart of construction activity since late June 2020.

Despite these increases, the number of private new-build sales transactions decreased by 754 (20%) compared with the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total number of transactions in the year to end December 2020 to 8,559, a decrease of 30% (3,707 transactions) on the 12,266 transactions recorded in 2019.

The latest social-sector new housebuilding figures show that 971 social sector homes were completed between July and September 2020. This is an increase of 937 homes on the previous quarter, when housebuilding activity was largely paused due to lockdown measures, but a decrease of 25% (329 homes) on the 1,300 completions in the same quarter in 2019. This brings the total number of completions for the year to end September 2020 to 4,402, a decrease of 18% (999 homes) on the 5,401 social sector homes completed in the previous year.

There were 3,160 affordable homes completed between January and March 2021, an increase of 1,226 (63%) homes on the previous quarter, and an increase of 2,963 homes on the April to June 2020 period, reflecting the phased restart of supply activity since late June 2020. The 3,160 homes completed between January and March 2021 equates to 90% of the level of affordable housing delivery in the same quarter of the previous year.

This brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the year to end March 2021 to 6,466, a decrease of 30% (2,830 homes) on the 9,296 affordable homes completed in the previous year. Over the same period, approvals have decreased by 39% (5,004 homes) to 7,882, and starts have dropped by 15% (1,846 homes) to 10,199.

Background

Read the full statistical publication.

Background information including Excel tables and explanatory information on data sources and quality can be found in the Housing Statistics webpages.

Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.