Government far behind 1.5 million homes target as quarterly completions slump, ONS data shows
Only 38,780 new homes were completed between January and March 2025, prompting calls to ramp up prefabricated construction to meet the 2029 goal
The Office for National Statistics reported that just 38,780 new homes were completed in the United Kingdom between January and March 2025, a level that leaves the government significantly off course to meet its target of 1.5 million homes by 2029.
To reach the 1.5 million target would require roughly 300,000 new homes a year — or about 75,000 every three months. The latest quarterly completions fall more than 36,000 homes short of that required run rate, according to the ONS figures reported in national media.
The shortfall has become more pronounced since the current government took office at the start of July 2024. Between July 2024 and March 2025 a total of 129,510 homes were completed, the ONS data shows, a nine-month total that remains well under the pace needed to hit the 2029 objective.
Industry commentators and some policymakers have urged a stepped-up delivery of prefabricated homes as one route to accelerate construction rates. Proponents argue that offsite manufacture can shorten build times and ease on-site labour pressures, though scaling such an approach would require coordinated action across industry and government.
The ONS quarterly completion figures are widely used as a near-term barometer of housebuilding performance. Analysts note that meeting a multi-year numerical target requires sustained, above-trend delivery across successive quarters; a single weak quarter widens the gap and increases the scale of any subsequent acceleration needed.
The government has previously set out ambitions to increase housing supply as part of broader economic and social policy objectives. The latest ONS numbers highlight the gap between aspiration and the current pace of delivery, and are likely to intensify debate over how quickly and by what means the shortfall can be addressed.
Market participants and housing experts said the figures were not unexpected, reflecting long-standing challenges in boosting housing output. The ONS data will be examined alongside other indicators such as planning approvals, starts on site and construction sector capacity to assess whether a feasible pathway exists to ramp up completions.
Absent a marked and immediate uplift in build rates, meeting the stated 1.5 million homes target by 2029 would require a sustained acceleration in completions that industry groups say will be difficult without policy changes, increased investment and faster adoption of accelerated construction methods.