House building figures are also provided for the other UK countries.
Summary
Latest figures for the quarter ending September 2003 show:
* In England, there were 40 thousand housing starts and 34 thousand completions in England, up 2 per cent and 4 per cent respectively on the same period in the previous year;
* There has been a gradual upward trend in starts and completions in England since 2002;
* The South East and East regions saw upward trends in starts and completions, whilst trends in London have remained level.
* Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the West Midlands have seen recent increases in the trends for starts but completions have been more level. In the North West and North East, the trends in starts has been level over recent quarters and the latter region has seen a decline in completions.
* Latest available UK figures for 2002/03 show 196 thousand starts and 184 thousand completions, both up on the previous year, particularly reflecting upturns in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Recent Trends in House building in England
In the quarter ending September 2003, some 40 thousand dwellings were started in England. This compares with 39.4 thousand in the equivalent quarter of 2002, an increase of 2 per cent. Completions have also increased. In England, some 34 thousand dwellings were completed in the quarter to September 2003 compared with 32.8 thousand in the same period in the previous year, an increase of 4 per cent. The smoothed trends in the quarterly rates of starts and completions show gradual increases since the beginning of 2002.
