210, 000 new households required each year

Official statistics published today showed household growth is expected to grow from 22.3 million in 2012 to 27.5 million in 2037. The 210,000-a-year estimated increase is lower than a 232,000 increase predicted for 2008-2033.

However it is still far higher than the 145,174 new homes registered with the National House Building Council last year, suggesting housing supply will fall further behind demand if the amount of new homes built is not increased.

Richard Laming, Director and Head of Economics and planning consultancy Turley said: ‘There is a risk that in the face of lower household projections for England it is assumed that the housing crisis will abate without concerted efforts to boost the supply of new homes.

‘However, housing supply and demand continue to be out of balance, and housing remains an unaffordable prospect for many households.  Now is not the time to ‘take the foot of the gas’ in correcting decades of under provision of housing.’

The figures are produced by the Office of National Statistics and published by the Department for Communities and Local Government. They use ONS population projections and census data.

The Homes for Britain campaign, backed by Inside Housing and 31 trade bodies, membership organisations and charities, is calling on politicians to commit to ending the housing crisis within a generation.