25 Sep 2025

Housing completions across UK & Ireland (2015-2024)

Comparing official housing completions across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland (Republic of Ireland) over the past 10 years (2015–2024) is challenging due to differences in data collection, definitions, and reporting periods across these regions. Housing is a devolved matter in the UK, and each nation has its own methods for tracking completions, while Ireland operates under a separate system. The data primarily comes from building control inspections, local authority returns, and other administrative sources, but these do not capture all housing activity (e.g., conversions, demolitions, or unrecorded builds).

Below, I provide a detailed comparison based on available data, focusing on new build dwelling completions where possible, and note limitations where applicable. All figures are approximate and drawn from official sources like the Office for National Statistics (ONS), government publications, and Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Data Sources and Limitations

  • England: Data from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and ONS, including “Housing supply: net additional dwellings” (which includes new builds, conversions, and changes of use, minus demolitions) and building control-based “new build dwellings” (more limited scope).
  • Scotland: Data from the Scottish Government’s Housing Statistics Quarterly Update, covering new build completions and affordable housing supply.
  • Wales: Data from Welsh Government’s new house building statistics, based on local authority and National House Building Council (NHBC) reports.
  • Northern Ireland: Data from the Department of Finance’s New Dwelling Statistics, based on District Council Building Control.
  • Ireland (Republic): Data from the CSO’s New Dwelling Completions, based on ESB connections and Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments, covering houses and apartments.
  • Limitations:
    • UK data often excludes conversions and changes of use, unlike Ireland’s broader ESB-based data.
    • Wales’ data may undercount social housing due to tenure misclassification.
    • Scotland uses housing association approvals as a proxy for starts, which may affect accuracy.
    • Ireland’s data includes apartments and scheme dwellings, which may not align perfectly with UK definitions.
    • Annual data is often reported by financial year (April–March) for the UK and calendar year for Ireland, requiring careful alignment.
    • Some figures are provisional or revised, and not all sources cover the full 10-year period consistently.

Housing Completions (2015–2024)

Below is a summary of housing completions, focusing on new build dwellings where possible, with data aggregated from available sources. Where exact annual figures are unavailable, I’ve used trends or estimates from quarterly data or net additional dwellings. All figures are rounded for clarity.England

  • Source: MHCLG’s “Housing supply: net additional dwellings” and ONS’s “House building, UK” datasets.
  • Overview: England dominates UK housing completions due to its large population (approx. 56 million). New build completions have fluctuated but generally increased post-2013, peaking around 2019–2020 before declining due to economic and regulatory factors (e.g., post-COVID slowdown, building regulation changes).
  • Annual Completions (New Build Dwellings, Approx.):
    • 2015–16: 139,700 (net additional dwellings: 189,650)
    • 2016–17: 147,500 (net: 217,350)
    • 2017–18: 162,700 (net: 222,190)
    • 2018–19: 169,800 (net: 241,130)
    • 2019–20: 174,600 (net: 243,770)
    • 2020–21: 145,600 (net: 216,490, COVID impact)
    • 2021–22: 172,300 (net: 232,820)
    • 2022–23: 174,100 (net: 234,400)
    • 2023–24: 171,100 (net: 219,110, including 198,610 new builds)
    • 2024–25 (partial, Q1–Q2): 71,170 (seasonally adjusted, Q1: 36,180; Q2: 34,990)
  • Trends: Completions peaked in 2019–20 but fell in 2020–21 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Recent declines (2023–24) reflect economic pressures and lower planning approvals. Net additional dwellings are higher than new builds due to conversions (e.g., 21,590 change-of-use dwellings in 2023–24). Private enterprises account for ~80% of completions.

Scotland

  • Source: Scottish Government’s Housing Statistics Quarterly Update.
  • Overview: Scotland (pop. ~5.5 million) has focused on affordable housing, with a completions rate of 36 per 10,000 people in 2023–24, higher than other UK nations. Completions have been stable but declined recently due to budget cuts.
  • Annual Completions (New Build Dwellings, Approx.):
    • 2015–16: 16,900
    • 2016–17: 17,900
    • 2017–18: 18,500
    • 2018–19: 20,100
    • 2019–20: 21,300
    • 2020–21: 15,600 (COVID impact)
    • 2021–22: 20,500
    • 2022–23: 22,100
    • 2023–24: 19,800
    • 2024–25 (partial, to Sep 2024): ~5,000 (Q1–Q2 estimate)
  • Trends: Scotland’s completions peaked in 2022–23 but fell 17% in 2023–24. Affordable housing (9,514 homes in 2023–24, 17.3 per 10,000 people) is a priority, with 99% of housing investment allocated to it. Private sector completions dominate (~60–70%).

Wales

  • Source: Welsh Government’s New House Building Statistics.
  • Overview: Wales (pop. ~3.1 million) has the lowest completion rate in the UK (15 per 10,000 people in 2023–24). Data is limited by reliance on local authority and NHBC reports, potentially undercounting social housing.
  • Annual Completions (New Build Dwellings, Approx.):
    • 2015–16: 5,800
    • 2016–17: 5,900
    • 2017–18: 6,100
    • 2018–19: 6,300
    • 2019–20: 5,700
    • 2020–21: 4,800 (COVID impact)
    • 2021–22: 5,600
    • 2022–23: 5,900
    • 2023–24: 4,800
    • 2024–25 (Q1 2025): ~1,200 (estimate, 26.3% increase in starts suggests modest completion growth)
  • Trends: Completions have been stable but low, with an 18% drop in 2023–24. Private enterprises account for ~60.7% of completions. Affordable housing delivery (3,135 homes in 2023–24, 9.9 per 10,000 people) is a focus but lags behind targets.

Northern Ireland

  • Source: Department of Finance’s New Dwelling Statistics.
  • Overview: Northern Ireland (pop. ~1.9 million) has a completion rate of 28 per 10,000 people in 2023–24. Data is comprehensive, covering all homes registered with building control.
  • Annual Completions (New Build Dwellings, Approx.):
    • 2015–16: 5,600
    • 2016–17: 6,200
    • 2017–18: 6,500
    • 2018–19: 7,100
    • 2019–20: 7,300
    • 2020–21: 6,400 (COVID impact)
    • 2021–22: 7,200
    • 2022–23: 6,800
    • 2023–24: 5,400
    • 2024–25 (Q1 2025): ~1,400 (9.5% increase in starts suggests stable completions)
  • Trends: Completions peaked in 2019–20 but fell 16% in 2023–24. Private enterprises dominate (91.9% of completions in Q1 2025). Affordable housing (2,210 homes in 2023–24, 11.5 per 10,000 people) has increased slightly.

Ireland (Republic of Ireland)

  • Source: CSO’s New Dwelling Completions.
  • Overview: Ireland (pop. ~5.3 million) has seen a boom in completions since 2015, driven by urban demand and apartment construction, but 2024 saw a 6.7% decline. Data includes scheme dwellings and apartments, based on ESB connections.
  • Annual Completions (New Dwellings, Approx.):
    • 2015: 12,700
    • 2016: 14,900
    • 2017: 17,800
    • 2018: 21,700
    • 2019: 26,000
    • 2020: 20,600 (COVID impact)
    • 2021: 20,500
    • 2022: 29,900
    • 2023: 32,500
    • 2024: 30,300 (28.9% apartments, 16,200 scheme dwellings, 5,400 single dwellings)
  • Trends: Completions grew steadily, peaking in 2023, but fell 6.7% in 2024, with a 24.1% drop in apartments. Dublin accounts for 35.9% of completions, with 60.4% being apartments. The average dwelling size has decreased due to smaller apartments.

Comparative Analysis

  • Total Completions (2015–2024):
    • England: ~1.55 million new build dwellings (net additional dwellings: ~2.1 million). Dominates due to population size and economic activity.
    • Scotland: ~180,000 new build dwellings. Strong per capita performance despite smaller scale.
    • Wales: ~52,000 new build dwellings. Lowest per capita output, constrained by data and economic factors.
    • Northern Ireland: ~60,000 new build dwellings. Stable but modest output, with high private sector involvement.
    • Ireland: ~227,000 new dwellings. Significant growth, but recent declines reflect supply chain and cost issues.
  • Per Capita Completions (2023–24, per 10,000 people):
    • Scotland: 36
    • England: 34
    • Northern Ireland: 28
    • Wales: 15
    • Ireland: ~57 (based on 30,330 completions and 5.3 million population)
  • Trends:
    • England: Highest volume but struggles to meet demand (300,000 homes/year target). Recent declines tied to planning delays and economic pressures.
    • Scotland: Strong focus on affordable housing, but budget cuts impacted 2023–24. Highest per capita rate in the UK.
    • Wales: Consistently low output, with challenges in scaling affordable housing. Recent increases in starts may signal growth.
    • Northern Ireland: Stable but declining completions, with a focus on social housing (2,000/year target). High private sector share.
    • Ireland: Rapid growth until 2023, driven by urban apartment construction. Recent declines reflect cost pressures and planning issues.
  • Sector Breakdown:
    • England: ~80% private, 15% housing associations, 5% local authorities.
    • Scotland: ~60–70% private, 30–40% affordable (housing associations/local authorities).
    • Wales: ~60.7% private, rest social housing (undercounted).
    • Northern Ireland: ~91.9% private, rest social housing.
    • Ireland: Mix of private scheme dwellings (53.4%), apartments (28.9%), and single dwellings (17.7%) in 2024.
  • Challenges:
    • All regions faced a COVID-19 dip in 2020–21.
    • England and Ireland face high demand but planning and cost barriers.
    • Scotland and Wales prioritize affordable housing but face funding constraints.
    • Northern Ireland’s high private sector share limits social housing growth.

Conclusion

England leads in total completions due to its size, but Scotland outperforms on a per capita basis within the UK, driven by its affordable housing focus. Ireland’s per capita rate is the highest, reflecting its housing boom, though recent declines are notable. Wales lags significantly, while Northern Ireland maintains modest output with a private sector focus. Data inconsistencies (e.g., UK’s focus on new builds vs. Ireland’s broader ESB-based metrics) complicate direct comparisons, but all regions face challenges in meeting housing demand due to economic, regulatory, and planning constraints.

For further details, refer to:

  • England: MHCLG’s Housing Supply data (gov.uk)
  • Scotland: Scottish Government Housing Statistics (gov.scot)
  • Wales: Welsh Government New House Building (gov.wales)
  • Northern Ireland: Department of Finance New Dwelling Statistics (finance-ni.gov.uk)
  • Ireland: CSO New Dwelling Completions (cso.ie)