NEW research has revealed that the Scottish Government has invested almost four times more per capita than England when it comes to affordable housing.
According to analysis from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) and commissioned by the SNP, Scotland had the highest per capita spending on affordable housing at £146 per person in 2025/2026, compared with £137 in Wales and just £39 in England.
Despite England’s much larger overall budget (£2.3 billion versus £808 million in Scotland and £437m in Wales), its far larger population meant spending per head was significantly lower.
All three nations, meanwhile, are increasing spending in 2026/27. Scotland rises to £920m (£166 per head, up £20 or 14%), while Wales grows to £466m (£146 per head, up £9 or 7%).
England sees the largest overall uplift, with funding jumping to £3.9bn and per capita spend increasing to £67 (up £27 or 70%).
But even with this sharp rise, Scotland remains the highest spender per person, with Wales also still well ahead of England.
The programmes do differ slightly between nations, and SPICe highlighted that comparable year-by-year data is not consistently available. England’s figures are therefore estimated by pro-rating total programme budgets (2021–2026 and 2026–2036) on the assumption of even annual spending.
But the SNP have hailed the figures, saying that the party has delivered 141,000 affordable homes since coming to power in 2007.
Campaigners and opposition pirates have stressed, however, that the homes aren't coming fast enough.
Statistics released by the Scottish Government in December showed a general decrease in housebuilding across the country, with a 5% drop in new starts in the year prior and an 8% fall in completions.
In May 2024, the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency.
Commenting, SNP MSP Michelle Campbell said that buying your own home is “simply unaffordable” for too many – highlighting the Scottish Government’s new First Homes Fund, with first-time buyers able to apply for up to £10,000 towards a deposit.
“For too many people in Scotland, buying their own home is simply unaffordable, and that’s exactly why we are spending four times more than England on building more, warm, affordable homes,” she said.
“It’s the very same reason we are backing first-time buyers with up to £10,000 to get on the property ladder and into their first home – that’s what you get from an SNP Government on Scotland’s side.”
Campbell added: “There is of course still work to be done, and that’s why we are investing a record £926 million in affordable housing this year and launching More Homes Scotland, to bring simplicity, speed and scale to delivery.
“While Westminster is lurching from crisis to crisis, from Prime Minister to Prime Minister, John Swinney's strong leadership is firmly focused on the priorities of the people of Scotland – our investment in housing reflects that.”
