East Renfrewshire has the highest proportion of homeowners anywhere in Scotland, according to a new report.

Annual housing statistics published by the Scottish Government, covering the 2020/21 financial year, show that 84% of houses in the local authority area were privately owned.

The lowest level of home ownership was in Dundee, where less than half of homes had been bought.

The report also shows that a total of 246 new homes were constructed in East Renfrewshire during 2020/21 and 90% of those were made available for sale, with the rest being earmarked for social housing.

Barrhead is currently undergoing a major housebuilding initiative known as the Barrhead South Masterplan More than 1,000 new homes are expected to be completed in the town over the next decade.

East Renfrewshire also had one of the lowest proportions of empty houses anywhere in Scotland, with just 2.5% lying vacant.

Overall, 15,360 new homes were built across Scotland during 2020/21 – a 33% drop on the previous 12 months.

Experts have said the coronavirus pandemic – and the long periods of lockdown it created – is largely responsible for that significant decrease.

There were a total of 2.6 million homes in Scotland, with 58% owner-occupied Last month, the Barrhead News reported how house prices continue to rise in East Renfrewshire, despite the cost-of-living crisis.

Average prices have soared by £25,000 – to £272,600 – in the space of a year, making East Renfrewshire the third most expensive place in Scotland to buy a home.

A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: “It’s our ambition to make East Renfrewshire one of the most desirable places to live, work and visit in Scotland.

“These latest figures highlight that many people continue to choose to make East Renfrewshire their home and we will continue to work hard to develop services that support our residents.”