SCOTLAND recorded low house build starts in both the private and social sectors in 2025, government statistics have revealed.
Aside from 2020, when Covid impacted building activity, the private sector started fewer homes than in any other year since 2013 – with it also completing fewer homes in any year since 2017.
Social housing completions were at the lowest since 2014 and starts were the lowest recorded since such data collection began in 1997.
In total, there was 17,336 new homes built and 14,999 new builds started across the private and social sectors in 2025. The private sector built 13,725 homes and the social sector built 3,611 homes. In terms of starts, building work on 11,929 was started by the private sector and 3,070 homes by the social sector.
In 2025 the affordable housing supply programme delivered 6,289 affordable completed homes, approved 5,833 homes, and started 5,856 homes.
Annual decreases were reported for approvals (9% decrease), starts (15% decrease), and completions (25% decrease) of homes provided via the affordable housing supply programme between 2024 and 2025. However, in the last 6 months of 2025, increases in approvals (58% increase, 1,153 homes) and starts (21% increase, 543 homes) compared with the same period in 2024 were seen.
As of December 2025, 32,479 homes have been delivered towards the 110,000 affordable housing target by 2032 — 77% social rent (25,016), 15% affordable rent (4,750), and 8% affordable home ownership (2,713).
