National statistics

Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England: 2021 to 2022

Published 24 November 2022

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Wales

Date of next publication: It is expected that the Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England: 2022-23 statistics will be published in November 2023 (provisional). The date will be pre-announced on the GOV.UK publication release calendar.

1. Key statistics

Annual housing supply in England amounted to 232,820 net additional dwellings in 2021-22, a 10% increase on 2020-21.

This resulted from 210,070 new build homes,

22,770 gains from change of use between non-domestic and residential,

4,870 from conversions between houses and flats and

780 other gains (caravans, house boats, etc),

offset by 5,680 demolitions.

131 of the net additions from new build homes were through ‘permitted development rights’ (full planning permission not required).

10,303 of the net additions from change of use were through ‘permitted development rights’ (full planning permission not required). These comprised 8,359 additional dwellings from former offices, 591 from agricultural buildings, 138 from storage buildings, 271 from light industrial buildings and 944 from other non-domestic buildings.

The loss of 32 dwellings from demolitions were through ‘permitted development rights’ (full planning permission not required).

2. Introduction

This statistical release presents National Statistics on net additional dwellings in England up to 2021-22. The figures show the net change in the dwelling stock in England between the 1 April and the 31 March the following year.

The ‘net additional dwelling’ figures are based on local authority estimates of gains and losses of dwellings during each year and are calculated using the most comprehensive list of sources available. This includes the council tax base, building control, site visits and any other management information available to the local authority.

‘Net additional dwellings’ is the primary and most comprehensive measure of total housing supply.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) also publishes a quarterly release titled Housing supply: indicators of new supply, which cover the building control reported estimates of new build dwellings as well as estimates of housing supply using other additional sources. The indicators of new supply release should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply.

Our interactive dashboard illustrates results and historical trends.

3. Trends in net additional dwellings

As can be seen from Figure 1 and Table 1 below, net additional dwellings reached a previous peak of 223,530 in 2007-08 and then decreased to 124,720 in 2012-13 with the economic downturn. Since then, net additions have increased to a peak of 242,700 in 2019-20, before falling to 211,870^{[footnote 1]} in 2020-21, the lowest level for 5 years. This decrease may be due, in part, to the restrictions introduced during spring 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021-22, net additions were 232,820, a 10% increase on 2020-21.

Net additional dwellings in 2021-22 are 4% below their 2019-20 peak and are 87% above their 2012-13 trough.

The 232,820 net additional dwellings in 2021-22 represents a 0.9% increase on the previous dwelling stock estimate of 24.9 million dwellings in England as at 31 March 2021.

Figure 1. Trends in net additional dwellings, England, 2001-02 to 2021-22

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Table 1. Net additional dwellings, England, 1991-92 to 2021-22^{[footnote 1]},^{[footnote 2]}

Financial Year	Net Additional Dwellings	Percentage change from previous year
1991-92	165,000
1992-93	151,000	-8%
1993-94	152,000	1%
1994-95	166,000	9%
1995-96	163,000	-2%
1996-97	154,000	-6%
1997-98	156,000	1%
1998-99	149,000	-4%
1999-00	148,000	-1%
2000-01	132,000	-11%
2001-02	146,700	11%
2002-03	159,870	9%
2003-04	170,970	7%
2004-05	185,550	9%
2005-06	202,650	9%
2006-07	214,940	6%
2007-08	223,530	4%
2008-09	182,770	-18%
2009-10	144,870	-21%
2010-11	137,390	-5%
2011-12	134,900	-2%
2012-13	124,720	-8%
2013-14	136,610	10%
2014-15	170,690	25%
2015-16	189,650	11%
2016-17	217,350	15%
2017-18	222,280	2%
2018-19	241,880	9%
2019-20	242,700	0%
2020-21	211,870	-13%
2021-22	232,820	10%

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4. Components of net additional dwellings

The annual net change in the dwelling stock breaks down as follows:

• New house building completions
• Gains or losses through conversions (for example, a house into flats)
• Changes of use (for example, a shop into a house or a barn conversion)
• Demolitions and
• Other changes to the dwelling stock (caravans, houseboats, etc)

Further details are available in the technical notes.

As can be seen from Figure 2 and Table 2 below, in 2021-22, the 210,070 new build completions accounted for 90% of the net change, the 22,770 additional dwellings resulting from change of use accounted for 10% of the net change, the 4,870 conversions accounted for 2% of the net change and the 780 other gains accounted for 0% of the net change. The loss of 5,680 demolitions accounted for -2% of the net change.

Since 2015-16, new data have been collected on dwellings from change of use under ‘permitted development rights’ making it easier to change buildings to residential use. In 2021-22, the 22,770 additional dwellings resulting from change of use included 10,303 through permitted development rights. These comprised 8,359 office to residential, 591 agricultural to residential, 138 storage to residential, 271 light industrial to residential, 858 any other to residential and 86 unspecified to residential.

Since 2020-21, new data have been collected on dwellings from new build under ‘permitted development rights’. In 2021-22, the 210,070 new build dwellings included 131 through unspecified development rights.

Since 2020-21, new data have been collected on demolitions under ‘permitted development rights’. In 2021-22, the loss of 5,680 dwellings under demolitions included 32 through unspecified permitted development rights.

Figure 2. Components of net additional dwellings, England, 2021-22

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Table 2. Components of net additional dwellings, England, 2020-21^{[footnote 1]} to 2021-22^{[footnote 3]}

Components of net housing supply	2020-21	2021-22	Change
New build completions	191,820	210,070	18,250
Of which under permitted development right - Building upwards to create dwelling houses on detached blocks of flats	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Building upwards to create dwelling houses on detached commercial or mixed-use buildings	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Building upwards to create dwelling houses on commercial or mixed-use buildings in a terrace	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Building upwards to create dwelling houses on dwelling houses in a terrace	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Building upwards to create dwelling houses on detached dwelling houses	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Demolition of buildings and construction of dwelling houses	0	0	0
Of which under permitted development right - Unspecified	697	131	-566
Of which under permitted development right - Total	697	131	-566
Net conversions	3,410	4,870	1,460
Net change of use	21,470	22,770	1,300
Of which under permitted development right - Agricultural to residential	853	591	-262
Of which under permitted development right - Office to residential	8,116	8,359	243
Of which under permitted development right - Storage to residential	142	138	-4
Of which under permitted development right - Light industrial use to residential	62	271	209
Of which under permitted development right - Any other	655	858	203
Of which under permitted development right - Unspecified	162	86	-76
Of which under permitted development right - Total	9,990	10,303	313
Net other gains	640	780	140
Demolitions	5,480	5,680	200
Of which under permitted development right	25	32	7
Net additional dwellings	211,870	232,820	20,950

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As can be seen from Figure 3 below, in 2021-22, net additions from new builds increased by 10%, net additions from conversions increased by 43%, net additions from change of use increased by 6%, net additions from other gains increased by 21% and losses from demolitions increased by 4% from 2020-21.

Figure 3. Time series of the components of net additional dwellings, England, 2006-07 to 2021-22

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5. Regional figures

As can be seen from Figure 4 (left) below, net additions per 1,000 dwellings in 2021-22 varied across England. Areas with high levels of net additions per 1,000 dwellings are geographically varied. Aside from the City of London (which has a low level of residential stock), the highest 3 net additions rates per 1,000 of the stock were in Tower Hamlets, Brent and Rugby. Areas with low levels of net additions per 1,000 dwellings are geographically varied. Aside from the Isles of Scilly (which has a low level of residential dwelling stock), the lowest 3 net additions rates per 1,000 of the stock were in Gosport, Bromley and New Forest. London presents a mixed picture, with 7 of the top 50 net addition rates per 1,000 dwellings and 9 of the lowest 50 net addition rates.

As can be seen from Figure 4 (right) below, changes in the level of net additional dwellings between 2020-21 and 2021-22 also varied across England, increasing in 198 out of 309 authorities. The geographic spread of increases and decreases is mixed. In London, 21 out of 33 London Boroughs have experienced an increase.

Figure 4. Net additions per 1,000 dwellings^{[footnote 4]} (left) and change from previous year (right), by each English local authority district, 2021-22

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6. Communal accommodation

This publication includes separate data on additions and losses from the stock of communal accommodation. These figures are not included in the main net additions figures. Communal accommodation is distinguished from the dwellings in the main net additions figures as it does not provide self-contained household spaces with kitchens and bathrooms. Communal accommodation, thus defined, does not include ‘student or other cluster flats’ which are included in the main net additional dwellings figures. Each cluster flat typically has several bedrooms and shared and cooking and living space behind a lockable door. Communal accommodation, however, has a number of individual bedrooms sharing communal facilities such as a refectory or lounge. Further details are available in the technical notes.

Figures for communal accommodation are split into ‘student’ and ‘other’ communal accommodation. Student communal accommodation is the traditional ‘student hall’ style with many student rooms and a single refectory. Other communal accommodation includes care homes or hostels where rooms are arranged along corridors with one or more communal sitting and dining rooms.

As can be seen from Table 3 below, in 2021-22, there was a net change of 990 student communal accommodation units and a net change of 630 other communal accommodation units, bringing the total net change to 1,620 communal accommodation units.

Table 3. Components of communal accommodation^{[footnote 5]}, England, 2020-21^{[footnote 1]} to 2021-22^{[footnote 3]}

Components of Communal Accommodation	2020-21	2021-22	Change
Student Gain	2,180	1,040	-1,140
Student Loss	20	50	30
Student Net Change	2,160	990	-1,170
Other Gain	560	690	120
Other Loss	140	60	-80
Other Net Change	420	630	200
Total Net Change	2,580	1,620	-960

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7. Comparison with affordable housing supply

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) also publishes an annual statistical release titled Affordable housing supply which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of affordable housing supply.

As can be seen from Figure 5 below, in 2021-22, there were 59,180 affordable homes delivered, representing an estimated 25% of the total number of new additions to the housing stock (i.e. excluding demolitions). This proportion has varied considerably since 2006-07, with a peak of 40% in 2010-11 and a trough of 16% in 2015-16.

Figure 5. Time series of affordable housing and all new housing additions, England, 2006-07 to 2021-22

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8. Accompanying tables and open data

8.1 Tables

Accompanying tables are available to download alongside this release.

8.2 Open data

These statistics are available in fully open and linkable data formats at Open Data Communities.

9. Technical notes

Please see the accompanying technical notes for further details.

10. Enquiries

Media enquiries:
Office hours: 0303 444 1209
Email: NewsDesk@levellingup.gov.uk

Public enquiries and Responsible Statistician: Neil Higgins

Email: housing.statistics@levellingup.gov.uk

Information on Official Statistics is available via the UK Statistics Authority website.

Information about statistics at DLUHC is available via the Department’s website.

1. The 2020-21 figures have been revised from 216,490 to 211,870 due to 33 local authorities submitting revised data in accordance with the published scheduled revisions policy. For details see the technical notes. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. From 2000-01 all local authorities submitted data to the Department through the Housing Flows Reconciliation form. Figures from 1990-91 to 1999-2000 are annual differences from the Department’s Dwelling Stock Estimates Live Table 104. For further details see the technical notes. ↩

3. Totals may not equal the sum of component parts due to rounding to the nearest 10. ↩ ↩²

4. To show housing supply in proportion to the size of each local authority district, we divide the net additions in the year by the existing dwelling stock. The result is multiplied by 1,000 to give a figure that is easier to interpret. For example, a region with 570 net additional dwellings over the previous year where there are 100,000 dwellings would give a value of 5.7 net additional dwellings per thousand of existing stock and would therefore be shaded in light blue in the coloured map. Rates of net additions are not uniform across England and can vary considerably between local authority areas. ↩

5. The number of communal accommodation units corresponds to the number of council tax valuation listings for the accommodation as described on the Valuations Office Agency website. Figures from 2015-16 have also been collected in the communal accommodation units of bedspaces and are published in Live Table 124b. Figures for previous years are available, however, these are not directly comparable (as London figures previously referred to the number of bedrooms provided, rather than council tax valuation listings). The Greater London Authority were unable to provide communal accommodation in council tax listings units for London Boroughs for 2020/21 and 2021/22 by the data collection deadline but did provide communal accommodation data for 2020/21 and 2021/22 in bedspace units, published in Live Table 124b. ↩