The percentage of dwellings in the social sector varied by type of housing in 2019. With dwellings owned by local authorities in England, the most common dwellings are purpose built low rise flats with over 37 percent. For English dwellings owned by housing associations, the most common dwelling type was also purpose built low rise flats with just as well, with almost 36 percent in 2019. Detached houses were rather uncommon in the social sector in England in 2019.In the period 2018-2019, over 19.000 social housing dwelling were sold in England, a number much lower around 15 years before. In 2003-2014, over 88.000 dwellings were sold in the English social housing sector.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify household spaces in England and Wales by accommodation type and by household size. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

The ONS have made changes to housing definitions since the 2011 Census. Take care if you compare Census 2021 results for this topic with those from the 2011 Census. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Accommodation type

The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or household.

This could be:

• the whole house or bungalow
• a flat, maisonette or apartment
• a temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravan

More information about accommodation types

Whole house or bungalow:

This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.

Detached:

None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.

Semi-detached:

The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.

Terraced:

A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.

Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes:

An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.

Household size

The number of people in the household.

Visitors staying at an address do not count to that household’s size.

In 2022, house price growth in the UK slowed, after a period of decade-long increase. Nevertheless, in August 2024, prices reached a new peak, with the average home costing close to 290,000 British pounds. That figure refers to all property types, including detached, semi-detached, terraced houses, and flats and maisonettes. Compared to other European countries, the UK had some of the highest house prices. How have UK house prices increased over the last 10 years? Property prices have risen dramatically over the past decade. According to the UK house price index, the average house price has grown by over 50 percent since 2015. This price development has led to the gap between the cost of buying and renting a property to close. In 2023, buying a three-bedroom house in the UK was no longer more affordable than renting one. Consequently, Brits have become more likely to rent longer and push off making a house purchase until they have saved up enough for a down payment and achieved the financial stability required to make the step. What caused the decline in house prices in 2022? House prices are affected by multiple factors, such as mortgage rates, supply, and demand on the market. For nearly a decade, the UK experienced uninterrupted house price growth as a result of strong demand and a chronic undersupply. Homebuyers who purchased a property at the peak of the housing boom in July 2022 paid 14 percent more compared to what they would have paid a year before. Additionally, 2022 saw the most dramatic increase in mortgage rates in recent history. Between December 2021 and December 2022, the 10-year fixed mortgage rate doubled, adding further strain to prospective homebuyers. As a result, the market cooled, leading to a correction in pricing.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents.There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for Leicester wards and compare with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsAccommodation typeThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or householdThis could be:the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravanMore information about accommodation types:Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.This dataset includes details for Leicester city wards.

It can be seen that condensing-combination boilers rose in popularity over the period from 2003 to 2019, from 1.7 percent in 2003 to become the most common boiler type in 2019 at 54.8 percent of all dwellings. In 2019, 9.7 percent of respondents had no boiler.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents.There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for Leicester MSOAs and compare with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsAccommodation typeThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or householdThis could be:the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravanMore information about accommodation types:Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.This dataset includes details for Leicester city MSOAs.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by tenure, by number of people per room in household, and by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

There is evidence of people incorrectly identifying their type of landlord as ”Council or local authority” or “Housing association”. You should add these two categories together when analysing data that uses this variable. Read more about this quality notice.

It is inappropriate to measure change in number of persons per room from 2011 to 2021, as Census 2021 used Valuation Office Agency data for the number of rooms variable. Instead use Census 2021 estimates for number of persons per bedroom for comparisons over time. Read more about this quality notice.

We have made changes to housing definitions since the 2011 Census. Take care if you compare Census 2021 results for this topic with those from the 2011 Census. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Lower tier local authorities

Lower tier local authorities provide a range of local services. There are 309 lower tier local authorities in England made up of 181 non-metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities, 36 metropolitan districts and 33 London boroughs (including City of London). In Wales there are 22 local authorities made up of 22 unitary authorities.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. However, you can choose to filter areas by:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Tenure of household

Whether a household owns or rents the accommodation that it occupies.

Owner-occupied accommodation can be:

• owned outright, which is where the household owns all of the accommodation
• with a mortgage or loan
• part-owned on a shared ownership scheme

Rented accommodation can be:

• private rented, for example, rented through a private landlord or letting agent
• social rented through a local council or housing association

This information is not available for household spaces with no usual residents.

Number of people per room in household

The number of household members is divided by the number of rooms in the household.

Accommodation type

The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or household.

This could be:

• the whole house or bungalow
• a flat, maisonette or apartment
• a temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravan

More information about accommodation types

Whole house or bungalow:

This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.

Detached:

None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.

Semi-detached:

The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.

Terraced:

A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.

Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes:

An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by dwellings that are HMOs by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

Improvements to the Census address frame allowed us to accurately list multiple household spaces within the same building. This means the data are more often counted as distinct households within separate dwellings reflecting living arrangements. Read more about this quality notice.

We have made changes to housing definitions since the 2011 Census. Take care if you compare Census 2021 results for this topic with those from the 2011 Census. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Households of multiple occupancy (HMO)

A dwelling where unrelated tenants rent their home from a private landlord is a HMO, if both of the following apply:

• at least three unrelated individuals live there, forming more than one household
• toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared with other tenants

A small HMO is shared by 3 or 4 unrelated tenants. A large HMO is shared by 5 or more unrelated tenants.

Accommodation type

The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or household.

This could be:

• the whole house or bungalow
• a flat, maisonette or apartment
• a temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravan

More information about accommodation types

Whole house or bungalow:

This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.

Detached:

None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.

Semi-detached:

The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.

Terraced:

A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.

Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes:

An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.

Office for National Statistics' national and subnational Census 2021. Accommodation typeThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. Accommodation type definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or householdThis could be:the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravanMore information about accommodation types:Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.Quality information: We have made changes to housing definitions since the 2011 Census. Take care if you compare Census 2021 results for this topic with those from the 2011 Census.Comparability with 2011: Broadly comparable. We have added a category called 'part of another converted building (for example, former school, church or warehouse)'. This means that there are some changes to the way people who lived in flats answered the question when comparing this variable with the one in the 2011 Census. This data is issued at (BGC) Generalised (20m) boundary type for:Country - England and WalesRegion - EnglandUTLA - England and WalesLTLA - England and WalesWard - England and WalesMSOA - England and WalesLSOA - England and WalesOA - England and WalesIf you require the data at full resolution boundaries, or if you are interested in the range of statistical data that Esri UK make available in ArcGIS Online please enquire at content@esriuk.com.The data services available from this page are derived from the National Data Service. The NDS delivers thousands of open national statistical indicators for the UK as data-as-a-service. Data are sourced from major providers such as the Office for National Statistics, Public Health England and Police UK and made available for your area at standard geographies such as counties, districts and wards and census output areas. This premium service can be consumed as online web services or on-premise for use throughout the ArcGIS system.Read more about the NDS.

Total number of housing completions (seasonally adjusted)

How the figure is calculated:

Total housing completions are reported by local authority and private building control organisations after the end of each quarter. A completion is counted when a dwelling is ready for habitation. The figures are seasonally adjusted to allow comparisons with previous quarters.

Why is this indicator in the business plan?

Increasing the supply of housing is a key part of DCLG policy. The house building figures are the most frequent and timely indicator of housing delivery.

How often is it updated?

Quarterly

Where does the data come from?

P2 quarterly house building returns by local authority building control departments; monthly information from the National House Building Council (NHBC) on the volume of building control inspections; and a quarterly survey of private building control companies. Published figures are at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/house-building-statistics.

What area does the headline figure cover?

England

Are further breakdowns of the data available?

Yes, can be split by local authority area and by tenure

What does a change in this indicator show?

An increase in this indicator is good and shows more new houses are being completed.

Time Lag

Figures are published within two months of the end of the reporting period.

Next available update

May 2015.

Type of Data

National Statistics.

Robustness and data limitations

The P2 figures from local authorities and figures from private building control companies include imputation for a small number of missing returns.

Seasonal factors for the house building time series are re-calculated annually back to 2000. This is usually done in the second quarter of the calendar year. Therefore the seasonally adjusted house building figures throughout the whole period change slightly at that time but are not marked as 'revised'.

Links to Further Information

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/house-building-statistics

Contact Details

CorporatePerformance@communities.gsi.gov.uk

According to a 2024 survey, dogs were the most commonly owned pet in UK households. The share of households reporting dog ownership stood at 36 percent. The second most common house pet among UK households were cats, with around 26 percent of respondents stating their ownership. Pet ownership in the UK In the past year, pet ownership levels in the UK decreased by five percent when compared to 2022. This decrease could be explained by the change in owner's routines since pandemic restrictions have lifted. The share of UK households owning a dog or cat also decreased in comparison to previous years. Happiness, companionship, and man’s best friend A 2020 survey asked dog owners to state their reasons for owning a dog and all linked their ownership to either improving their happiness and/or providing companionship. Happiness was the most common response, with 51 percent stating ‘because they make me happy’. Whereas 47 percent stated their dogs provided ‘love/affection’ and 35 percent stated their dogs provided ‘companionship’. It seems the old saying “man’s best friend” still holds true to this day.

Multifamily real estate was the most popular property type among foreign investors in the real estate market in the UK in the 12 months ending in June 2024. Approximately 28 percent of cross-border capital targeted the multifamily sector, followed by 23 percent for industrial real estate. Hotels were the third most popular asset class, accounting for 19 percent of capital deployed.

The number of households occupied by social renters in England from 2000 to 2024 fluctuated from a total of 3.95 million households in 2000 to over four million households in 2024. The purpose built, low-rise flat was by far the most popular type of housing in the social sector in England.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usually resident dependent children in households in England and Wales by number of bedrooms, by accommodation type and, by age of dependent children. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

We have made changes to housing definitions since the 2011 Census. Take care if you compare Census 2021 results for this topic with those from the 2011 Census. Read more about this quality notice.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Number of Bedrooms

The number of bedrooms in a household’s accommodation.

This number is not available for household spaces with no usual residents.

Accommodation type

The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or household.

This could be:

• the whole house or bungalow
• a flat, maisonette or apartment
• a temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravan

More information about accommodation types

Whole house or bungalow:

This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.

Detached:

None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.

Semi-detached:

The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.

Terraced:

A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.

Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes:

An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.

Dependent child age

Counts dependent children and gives an age classification.

"Not applicable" applies to non-dependent children and adults.

The average floor area of dwellings in England in 2024 varied by tenure type. In this year, the usable floor area was largest for owner occupiers (110 square meters), followed by private renters (75 square meters). The smallest dwellings were those belonging to social renters (66 square meters). In 2025, around 4 million houses in England were of the social housing kind.

Most of England's housing stock is owner occupied and built before 1919. Among the homes built after 2002, about 2.1 million homes were owner occupied, about 654,000 were privately rented and approximately 459,000 were social housing. The largest share of social housing was found in buildings built between 1945 and 1980. In 2024, there were around 15.8 million owner occupied households in England.

Starts and completions of new build dwellings in the UK, on a quarterly and annual basis, time series data

Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproducts Accommodation type This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. Definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or household This could be: the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravan More information about accommodation types: Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.