From Financial Times,
Britain built 24046% more dwellings last year than in 1963 (383,200 against 307,000, one of the highest growth rates in all Europe, and surpassed only by the Netherlands (27%). But compared with the total pop ulation the rate comes well down at the bottom of the list (7-1 per thousand inhabitants. )
These facts emerge from the Annual Bulletin of Housing and Building Statistics, just published by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe, The bulletin states that more than 5.6M dwellings were built in Europe last year, 155,000 more than in 1963, The highest percentage increases following the Netherlands and Britain were recorded by Spain (24.3), Ireland (20.3), Denmark (16.5), Poland (10.9) and Yugoslavia (10.3). ‘There was a decline however in Finland (19.5 down) and the U.S.S.R. (6.3). Although Swederfs building increase comes low down on the list (7.1) it leads in construction of dwellings per head of the population (11.4 per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by West Germaany (10.7, UeSeSeRe (10.2) and Switzerland (9.7). The U.S.S.R. has led in this category from 1958 to 1963.
The average size of new dwellingsremains about the same in most European countries, the largest in 1964 being built by the Netherlands (5.2 rooms per dwelling}; Spain (5.1); Norway (4.5) and Denmark (4.4). In East Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Yugoslavia, the average size was less than three rooms, But the equipment of new dwellings is improving, 90-100% last year having bath or shower, (almost 100% in Britain), In most European cowmiries during the past few years, there has been a slight but steady shift from construction of one and two dwelling houses to multiple dwelling houses, as well-as-from private to state and public construction,