Private sector led new housebuilding

The private sector is the biggest contributor to overall house building, accounting for nearly three quarters (74%) of all homes completed in the year to the end of June 2024.

In the year to the end of June 2024, there were 14,240 private sector led house building completions and 11,795 starts, as Chart 2 indicates.

Chart 2: Private sector led new build completions have decreased by 14% (-2,354 homes), whilst starts have decreased by 19% (- 2,833 homes) in the year to the end of June 2024 compared with the previous year.

Chart 2 shows the annual number of private sector led house building starts and completions from 2008 to 2024 (ending in June). Excluding 2020 where Covid-19 impacted housebuilding, new build completions were the lowest since the year to end of June 2018. Starts were at the lowest point since the year to end of June 2013.

Map B illustrates that Midlothian and East Lothian are local authorities with the highest private sector led completion rates in the year to the end of June 2024 (rate of over 54 homes built per 10,000 population).

The lowest rates are in Inverclyde, Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, South Ayrshire, Stirling, Angus, North Lanarkshire and North Ayrshire with rates of 18 or fewer homes built per 10,000 population.

Map B: New build housing – private sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, in the year to the end of June 2024.

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.