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Scottish cities

Number of new houses built in Scottish cities, 1997-2024

Chart showing the number of new houses built in each of the Scottish cities from 1997 to 2024.

In the year from April 2023-March 2024, 2,128 new houses were built in Glasgow. This figure varied throughout the time period shown (1997-2024), with household building rates growing until around 2008. Between then and 2023, rates remained under 2000 per year, so the latest figures have been an increase.

Rates in Edinburgh have also varied. There were less new houses built in Edinburgh than in Glasgow for most of the years between 1997 and 2015, but since then there have been more in Edinburgh – despite Glasgow having a larger population.

Rates in Aberdeen and Dundee were lower, generally under 1000 per year, but again, this is largely due to the relative size of the cities – looking at the number built per 10,000 people living in the city, the four cities had quite similar levels in 2024.

New house completions by sector in Scottish cities 2023/24

Chart showing proportions of new houses in the Scottish cities which were private and social sector houses.

Around 75% of the new houses built in Glasgow in 2023/24 were private-sector led. The proportion was higher in Edinburgh (85%), and similar in Dundee (72%). In Aberdeen, there were more social-sector led house completions – 54% of house completions were social-sector led.

Notes

For the chart showing annual rates, the years shown cover the 12 months up until the end of the first quarter of that year – i.e., '2024' is the number of houses built between April 2023 and March 2024. This was done to simplify the chart visually. 

This page was last updated in November 2024. 

Further reading under ‘House building’