All-Sector New Housebuilding

There were 20,992 homes completed and 16,017 new builds started in 2023 (ending December). House building completions and starts decreased in 2023 compared with 2022, as Chart 1 indicates.

Chart 1: Annual all-sector new housebuilding starts and completions decreased by 24% (5,009 home) and 11% (2,701 homes) respectively, in the latest year to end December 2023.

Map A below shows that in the year to end December 2023, the highest new build rates were observed in the local authority areas of Argyll & Bute, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire and West Lothian which each had rates of more than 46 homes per 10,000 population.

The lowest rates were observed in Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Scottish Borders and West Dunbartonshire which each had rates of 22 homes or fewer per 10,000 population.

Note that all-sector completion rates calculations contain some estimated figures for Aberdeen City, Dundee City, East Dunbartonshire, South Ayrshire and Stirling. Further details are in the Data and Methodology section.

Map A: New build housing – All Sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2023.

The latest quarterly data and comparison to the corresponding quarter in the previous year are shown in the ‘Quarterly Comparisons’ section. Timeseries data along with local authority breakdowns are contained in the supporting Excel tables.