The Scottish Government said there was a 12% decrease in all sector housebuilding starts and a 10% decrease in completions between the year ending September 2023 and September 2024.

In the 12 months ending September 2024, there were 19,828 Scottish homes built and 14,768 new builds started.

All sector completions and starts were 10% and 12%, respectively, lower than the previous 12 months.

The private sector built 15,056 homes and the social sector built 4,772 homes. In terms of starts, building work on 11,697 was started by the private sector and 3,071 homes by the social sector.

Excluding 2020 — where Covid-19 impacted housebuilding — private sector house completions were the lowest since the year to end of September 2018 and starts the lowest since the year to end of September 2013.

In the social sector, completions were the lowest since the year to end of September 2017 and starts alongside the previous year, were at the joint lowest level over the past 20 years.