Ireland recorded 26,833 new home completions in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 10.6% year on year, as the Government points to rising housing delivery while the challenge of meeting the country’s housing needs continues.
A total of 26,833 new homes were completed between January and September 2026, compared with 24,256 during the same period in 2025, according to the latest figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The increase means 2,577 more homes were completed during the first three quarters of this year than in the corresponding period last year.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD welcomed the figures, which show that more homes were completed in the first nine months of 2026 than in any equivalent period since the CSO series began.
The figures also show an increase in third-quarter delivery, with 10,154 homes completed between July and September, up 10.4% from 9,197 in the same quarter of 2025.
While the higher completion total indicates an increase in housing delivery, the figures alone do not establish whether supply is sufficient to meet demand or whether the additional homes are affordable for households struggling to find accommodation.
Third-quarter completions rise by 10.4%
The 10,154 homes completed in the third quarter represented an increase of 957 dwellings compared with the same period last year.
The rise contributed to the overall increase recorded during the first nine months, when completions reached their highest level for the January-to-September period since the CSO series began.
The Department of Housing said home completions have traditionally been strongest towards the end of the year. The first-nine-month figures therefore provide a basis for further delivery during the final quarter, although the full-year outcome will depend on how many additional homes are completed before December ends.
The latest figures measure completed homes rather than planning permissions granted or developments under construction. They therefore provide an indication of housing delivery reaching the completion stage.
However, a higher number of completions does not, by itself, show how quickly homes are being occupied, how many are available for sale or rent, or whether the locations and prices meet the needs of households.
James Browne says housing delivery must continue to increase
Welcoming the figures, Minister James Browne said the latest results were encouraging but stressed that the Government would need to maintain its efforts to increase housing supply.
He said the record level of completions demonstrated progress on the ground and pointed to the need to continue building on that momentum.
The Minister said:
“It is once again greatly encouraging to see record numbers of homes being completed as we approach the end of the year. While this progress is encouraging, I am taking nothing for granted, but as a key indicator of where we are at, it demonstrates that our policies are translating into real progress on the ground, delivering more homes and putting keys in people’s hands.
“Momentum is strong, but we cannot ease off. As Minister, I will continue to take every action necessary to increase housing supply and build on this progress well into next year and beyond.”
The Minister’s comments place the latest figures within the Government’s wider effort to increase the number of homes being delivered.
The completion data establishes that output rose compared with the equivalent period in 2025. Assessing the longer-term effect of housing policies requires examining whether that increase can be sustained and how the additional supply affects access to accommodation.
Scheme dwellings record the strongest growth among the three categories
The third-quarter figures show increases across apartments, scheme dwellings and single dwellings, although the rate of growth varied by category.
According to the figures published by the Department of Housing:
- Scheme dwellings: 5,163 completed in Q3 2026, up 13.5% from the same quarter in 2025.
- Apartments: 3,464 completed, an increase of 9.8%.
- Single dwellings: 1,527 completed, up 2.1%.
Scheme dwellings accounted for just over half of all homes completed during the quarter, making them the largest of the three categories by volume. Apartments accounted for approximately one-third, while single dwellings made up the remainder.
The strongest percentage increase was recorded in scheme dwellings, while apartment completions also rose substantially. The increase in single dwellings was more modest.
The categories have specific definitions in the CSO series. Single dwellings are one-off homes connected to the ESB network. Scheme dwellings are houses forming part of a multi-unit development of two or more houses connected to the network. Apartment dwellings are homes within multi-unit developments that the ESB specifically identifies as apartments.
These distinctions help show which types of residential construction contributed to the quarterly total. They do not, however, provide a complete picture of the location, price, tenure or eventual occupants of the completed homes.
What the figures mean for Ireland’s housing supply
The increase in completed homes is an important measure of construction delivery, but it must be considered alongside other indicators to understand the wider housing market.
More completed dwellings add to the housing stock. Whether that translates into improved access to housing depends on factors including population growth, household formation, the geographical distribution of new homes, affordability and the availability of accommodation for different household types.
National completion figures cannot establish whether enough homes are being delivered in areas where demand is strongest. Nor do they show whether newly completed properties are available at prices or rents that households can afford.
A rise in completions also does not automatically mean that rents or house prices will fall. Those outcomes depend on the relationship between supply and demand, incomes, financing conditions, housing tenure and other market factors.
The latest figures should therefore be read as evidence of increased housing delivery, rather than proof that Ireland’s housing shortage has been resolved.
To assess whether the increase is translating into meaningful improvements for households, the completion data needs to be considered alongside information on house prices, rents, homelessness, housing waiting lists and regional patterns of construction.
Final quarter will determine the full-year total
The Government has highlighted the first-nine-month figures as a basis for a strong year of housing delivery in 2026, noting that completions have traditionally been strongest towards the end of the year.
The final quarter will determine the full-year completion total and provide a clearer picture of whether the increase recorded so far has been sustained.
Further CSO releases will also help establish how delivery is distributed across dwelling types and regions, and how the 2026 total compares with previous years.
For now, the figures show that Ireland completed 26,833 new homes in the first nine months of 2026, up 10.6% on the same period last year. Minister James Browne has welcomed the increase while pledging to continue efforts to raise housing supply.
The wider test will be whether the higher level of delivery can be sustained and whether the homes being completed help address the housing needs and affordability pressures facing households across the country.
Sources: Central Statistics Office (CSO); Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Official announcement: Minister Browne highlights latest housing completion figures showing record number of homes built in the first nine months of the year.
CSO statistics: New Dwelling Completions.
