Housing completions Ireland up 10.6% as 26,833 new homes built

Nearly nine in 10 new homes in Dublin are apartments

Figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 26,833 new homes were completed across the country during the first nine months of 2026.

This is a 10.6 % increase compared with the same period last year.

Construction activity also strengthened during the summer months. A total of 10,154 dwellings were finished in the third quarter, up 10.4% year-on-year.

However, the national figures conceal a significant geographical imbalance in apartment construction. 

Dublin accounted for 67% of all apartments completed across Ireland during the quarter, while apartments made up almost nine in every 10 homes finished in the capital.

Apartment completions nationwide rose by 9.8% to 3,464 during the three-month period.

More homes completed in Irish housing schemes as forecasts fall

The number of homes delivered within larger residential developments, known as housing schemes, increased more sharply, climbing 13.65% to 5,163.

Scheme developments represented more than half of all homes completed in the quarter. 

Apartments accounted for 34% of the total, while houses made up the remaining 15%.

Although apartment numbers have increased since the Government introduced new policy measures last year, progress has been more modest than anticipated, according to the Irish Times.

One of the difficulties facing the sector is the gap between obtaining planning permission and actually beginning construction. 

The outlook for construction has also become less optimistic. The Central Bank of Ireland has reduced its projections for new-home completions over the next three years, citing a slowdown in housing starts.

Its latest estimates put completions at 39,500 in 2026, followed by 41,000 in 2027 and 45,000 in 2028. All three figures are below the bank’s previous forecasts.