Britain today · Growing the UK economy

England hasn't built at 1970s pace in decades, and completions have now fallen three years running

How many homes does England actually build, who builds them, and does the planning system let them through? Housebuilding starts and completions since 1946, planning decisions since 2014, and how supply compares with population growth — every figure traced to MHCLG or planning.data.gov.uk.

View shareable visual summaries

142,050

New homes completed (building-control count), England, 2025

124,830

Dwellings started, England, 2025

2.41

Completions per 1,000 residents, 2025

87.5%

Planning applications approved, 2026 Q2

A different, more complete measure: net additional dwellings were 208,600 in 2024-25 (MHCLG Live Table 120) — new build plus conversions and change of use, less demolitions, by financial year. Do not compare it directly with the calendar-year building-control count above.

Housebuilding completions, England

Completions have fallen for three consecutive years and remain well short of the government's 300,000-a-year target — a level England has not sustained since the 1970s.

View data table
Housebuilding completions, England — England. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Live tables on house building. 2025.
YearHousebuilding completions, England
194649250
1947120860
1948193590
1949162110
1950163340
1951162290
1952196930
1953263680
1954293110
1955270010
1956256100
1957256360
1958231150
1959238600
1960257620
1961256160
1962263560
1963256580
1964317540
1965327660
1966330120
1967342740
1968352540
1969306860
1970291790
1971294680
1972272520
1973249710
1974229360
1975261460
1976263430
1977261600
1978241360
1979209460
1980204370
1981170600
1982151630
1983173720
1984182080
1985170040
1986179140
1987189300
1988202930
1989179360
1990163900
1991154600
1992143830
1993147840
1994154640
1995157140
1996149090
1997149490
1998142650
1999141010
2000135100
2001129510
2002136800
2003144060
2004154060
2005159450
2006160850
2007176640
2008148010
2009124970
2010106720
2011114020
2012115590
2013109440
2014117810
2015142470
2016141870
2017162480
2018165490
2019177880
2020146650
2021174940
2022178350
2023163270
2024153850
2025142050

England · Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Live tables on house building · series Table 244 — All Completions · as of 2025

Who builds England's new homes?

Private enterprise builds the large majority of new homes; housing associations and local authorities together add a much smaller share. Local authority housebuilding has grown from a negligible base but remains a fraction of its 1970s scale.

Completions by tenure, England

Private enterprise dominates supply; housing-association building is the second-largest and more stable source; local authority building remains small in historical terms.

View data table
Completions by tenure, England — England. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Live tables on house building. 2025.
YearPrivate enterpriseHousing associationLocal authority
19462876010020400
19473863086081370
1948303701820161400
1949238001330136980
1950253101500136530
1951201701610140510
1952305001800164620
1953582707200198210
19548538014020193710
19551068004350158860
19561159402400137750
19571188201880135660
19581199101120110120
1959141510110095990
1960156020165099950
1961163350156091250
19621595201550102490
1963160630193094020
19642006702850114020
19651967503620127290
19661878904100138140
19671837204520154500
19682033205540143680
19691640707100135700
19701534408180130180
197117082010170113680
1972173990690091630
1973163460834077920
1974121490926098610
197513148013650116330
197613090014440118090
197712157024190115840
19781274902057093300
19791183901628074790
19801102301930074840
1981989001682054880
19821087901118031660
19831294901434029900
19841389701392029190
19851354601130023280
19861488901062019630
19871617401094016620
19881760201078016130
19891540001065014700
19901360601382014020
1991131170153008130
1992119530207903510
1993116630297801420
1994122700308501090
199512547030890790
199612155027020510
199712824020970290
199812251019900240
19991231801778050
20001183301668090
200111484014500160
200212332013310180
200313106012820180
200413733016600130
200514174017540180
200613990020660280
200715421022180250
200812110026470430
20099762026990360
20108328022650790
201185870259402230
201288740254401410
20138701021590840
201492850237801180
2015110710301201650
2016115350244302100
2017133460272801750
2018135210275902690
2019143690320002190
2020120060253201270
2021142130312201590
2022144910318201620
2023124970359402360
2024115690353802780
2025104420356601970

England · Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Live tables on house building · as of 2025

Regional housebuilding

MHCLG Live Table 217, by financial year (starts/completions figures above are calendar year — the two axes are not directly comparable, so they are shown in separate tables here).

RegionStarts, latest FYCompletions, latest FY
London10,860 (2025-26)17,890 (2025-26)
South East20,640 (2025-26)24,340 (2025-26)
North West15,070 (2025-26)15,290 (2025-26)
East of England18,350 (2025-26)21,140 (2025-26)
South West17,040 (2025-26)15,440 (2025-26)
West Midlands12,010 (2025-26)11,420 (2025-26)
Yorkshire and the Humber10,370 (2025-26)11,070 (2025-26)
East Midlands14,970 (2025-26)16,170 (2025-26)
North East9,240 (2025-26)8,300 (2025-26)

Does housing supply keep pace with population?

Both derived metrics below combine MHCLG completions with ONS mid-year population estimates for England — UK Facts's own calculation from two official series, marked evidence class C, never presented as an MHCLG-published figure.

Housebuilding completions per 1,000 residents, England

England currently completes around 2.5 new dwellings per 1,000 residents a year — well below the pace of the 1960s-70s housebuilding boom.

View data table
Housebuilding completions per 1,000 residents, England — England. Source: UK Facts (calculated), Derived from MHCLG Live tables on house building and ONS population estimates. 2025.
YearHousebuilding completions per 1,000 residents, England
19716.3493
19725.8516
19735.3487
19744.9132
19755.6018
19765.6457
19775.6089
19785.1752
19794.4854
19804.3681
19813.6437
19823.2415
19833.7109
19843.8813
19853.6135
19863.7963
19874.0021
19884.2801
19893.7718
19903.4361
19913.2292
19922.9966
19933.0734
19943.2064
19953.2478
19963.0728
19973.0718
19982.9219
19992.8758
20002.7441
20012.619
20022.7537
20032.8855
20043.0693
20053.1508
20063.1561
20073.4378
20082.8565
20092.3942
20102.0273
20112.147
20122.1603
20132.0297
20142.1668
20152.5994
20162.566
20172.9213
20182.9592
20193.1634
20202.6036
20213.0933
20223.1186
20232.8154
20242.6251
20252.4144

England · Source: UK Facts (calculated), Derived from MHCLG Live tables on house building and ONS population estimates · as of 2025

Housebuilding completions growth vs population growth, England

Housebuilding volume relative to population has never recovered to its 1970s level, even as population has grown steadily throughout.

View data table
Housebuilding completions growth vs population growth, England — England. Source: UK Facts (calculated), Derived from MHCLG Live tables on house building and ONS population estimates. 2025.
YearHousebuilding completions growth vs population growth, England
1971100
197292.162
197384.241
197477.382
197588.227
197688.92
197788.34
197881.508
197970.645
198068.797
198157.387
198251.054
198358.446
198461.13
198556.911
198659.792
198763.032
198867.411
198959.406
199054.118
199150.86
199247.196
199348.406
199450.5
199551.152
199648.396
199748.381
199846.02
199945.294
200043.219
200141.249
200243.37
200345.446
200448.34
200549.625
200649.708
200754.146
200844.989
200937.709
201031.929
201133.815
201234.024
201331.968
201434.127
201540.94
201640.414
201746.01
201846.606
201949.824
202041.006
202148.719
202249.117
202344.343
202441.345
202538.026

England · Source: UK Facts (calculated), Derived from MHCLG Live tables on house building and ONS population estimates · as of 2025

House prices and affordability

Already live elsewhere on this site (HM Land Registry UK House Price Index; ONS Housing affordability in England and Wales: 2025, England figures) — reused here via the same underlying data rather than a separate copy, so the two pages can never silently drift apart.

Average UK House Price (£k)

UK average house price 2010–2025, from the UK House Price Index, in cash terms (not adjusted for inflation). Prices rose about 74% over the period. For affordability, compare prices with earnings on the same basis: see the ONS house price to earnings ratio.

View data table
Average UK House Price (£k) — United Kingdom. Source: HM Land Registry / ONS, UK House Price Index (December figure each year). 2025 (latest monthly: July 2026, £273,000).
YearAverage price (£k)
2010155
2011154
2012156
2013164
2014177
2015189
2016199
2017208
2018212
2019214
2020228
2021245
2022263
2023256
2024264
2025269

United Kingdom · Source: HM Land Registry / ONS, UK House Price Index (December figure each year) · as of 2025 (latest monthly: July 2026, £273,000)

House Price to Earnings Ratio (England)

In England the median house price was 7.63 times median full-time workplace-based earnings in 2025, down from a peak of 9.06 in 2021 and compared with 6.85 in 2010.

View data table
House Price to Earnings Ratio (England) — England. Source: ONS, Housing affordability in England and Wales: 2025 (Table 1c, median ratio). 2025 (released 26 March 2026).
YearHouse price to earnings ratio
19973.54
19983.67
19993.96
20004.19
20014.5
20025.12
20035.93
20046.6
20056.79
20066.95
20077.15
20086.97
20096.4
20106.85
20116.8
20126.77
20136.76
20147.09
20157.54
20167.72
20177.91
20188.04
20197.88
20207.86
20219.06
20228.56
20238.45
20247.84
20257.63

England · Source: ONS, Housing affordability in England and Wales: 2025 (Table 1c, median ratio) · as of 2025 (released 26 March 2026)

Does the planning system let homes through?

MHCLG's quarterly Planning Applications statistics — applications received and decided, the approval rate, and how quickly decisions are made. Approvals are shown alongside completions above but not implied to cause them — a granted application can be delayed, revised, sold on or never built out; MHCLG does not publish a matched applications-to- completions conversion series, and this page does not invent one.

Planning applications received (England)

Applications received have fluctuated with the wider economic cycle, dipping sharply around 2020 and again more recently.

View data table
Planning applications received (England) — England. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return). 2026 Q2.
YearPlanning applications received (England)
2005147130
2006149086
2007150555
2008110989
2009111206
2010110594
2011111891
2012106558
2013109014
2014110928
2015111141
2016112016
2017112288
2018107497
2019100325
2020111761
2021106498
202293142
202384683
202479169
202576919
202678706

England · Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return) · series Figure_1 (Charts data file) — Received · as of 2026 Q2

Planning application approval rate (England)

The great majority of decided planning applications are approved — the approval rate has stayed consistently high even as raw volumes moved.

View data table
Planning application approval rate (England) — England. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return). 2026 Q2.
YearPlanning application approval rate (England)
200578.362
200678.624
200778.161
200878.97
200980.292
201080.752
201181.738
201281.664
201381.385
201487.373
201587.208
201687.468
201787.548
201887.718
201987.088
202087.483
202187.408
202286.644
202385.382
202486.157
202586.637
202687.55

England · Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return) · series derived — Figure_1 Granted / Decided x 100 · as of 2026 Q2

Major applications decided in time

91.1%

2026 Q2 — within 13 weeks or an agreed extended period.

Minor applications decided in time

86.6%

2026 Q2 — within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period.

Major residential planning applications decided (England)

Major residential decisions — the applications most relevant to housing supply — dropped sharply after 2007 and have not recovered to pre-financial-crisis volumes.

View data table
Major residential planning applications decided (England) — England. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return). 2026 Q2.
YearMajor residential planning applications decided (England)
20001608
20011780
20022055
20032454
20042859
20052738
20062584
20072443
20081609
20091290
20101372
20111241
20121388
20131910
20141894
20152004
20162137
20172063
20181972
20191842
20201635
20211473
20221470
20231235
20241190
20251127
20261026

England · Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Planning applications in England — quarterly statistics (district matters, PS1/2 return) · series Figure_6 (Charts data file) — Major residential · as of 2026 Q2

Brownfield land and conservation constraints

Evidence class B, not A.planning.data.gov.uk states its own coverage is incomplete: "The data may be incomplete and not yet cover all of England. We're working to improve its availability and quality." The figures below are a live-register snapshot, not a comprehensive national count — read them as a lower bound, not a total.

Brownfield Land Register sites

37,749

Snapshot taken 2026-10-08 — sites registered on planning.data.gov.uk, incomplete local-authority coverage.

Conservation Area designations

10,666

Snapshot taken 2026-10-08 — the platform's own dataset notes describe this as "a work in progress" with some duplicate entries.

How this is calculated, and what "evidence class" means
  • A — Observed official statistic — housebuilding starts/completions/tenure/region (MHCLG Live Tables 244/217), ONS mid-year population, planning applications received/decided/granted/in-time (MHCLG Planning Applications Statistics), house prices and the price-to-earnings ratio (HM Land Registry / ONS, reused from elsewhere on this site).
  • C — Derived by UK Facts from official data — completions per 1,000 residents (completions ÷ population × 1,000) and the housing-vs-population growth index (both series indexed to 1971=100, then divided) — UK Facts's own calculation, formula shown on each chart.
  • B — Official/admin statistic with methodological limitations — the Brownfield Land Register and Conservation Area counts, because planning.data.gov.uk itself states its coverage is incomplete.

The planning refusal rate shown alongside approvals is a residual (100 − approval rate), not a directly-published MHCLG total — England's planning statistics report grants and total decisions, not a national refusals figure. Local- authority-level housebuilding is not shown: England's local authorities have been repeatedly reorganised (e.g. the 2023 Cumbria/North Yorkshire/Somerset unitarisations), and MHCLG's own local-authority table publishes one snapshot sheet per year rather than a comparable time series — building a genuine LA-level series would need a boundary-change crosswalk spanning decades, left as a real, documented gap rather than forced.

Related

Skills and apprenticeships →
Apprenticeship starts, achievements and participation by level, age, region and sector
Deprivation and resilience →
The Indices of Deprivation 2025 and UK food security
Housing (full page) →
The site’s existing housing page — rents, homelessness and the wider affordability picture
Data health →
Every canonical series in this module, its freshness and its evidence class