According to a report released by the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on December 27th, Japan’s housing starts in November 2017 were 84,703 units (down 0.4 per cent from the same month in the previous year), falling below the previous year’s results for five consecutive months, said the Japan Lumber Journal Monday.
When compared to the previous month, the figures increased by 2 per cent. The seasonally-adjusted annual rate was 951,000 units (up 1.9 per cent from the previous month.).
Housing Starts, Japan: November 2017
Looking at the results of November by owner/occupant, housing starts of owner-occupied houses were 24,904 units (down 4.2% from the same month of the previous year), falling below the previous year’s results for six months in a row. The figures decreased 4.1% in Tokyo metropolitan area, 7.9% in Chubu area, 5.7% in Kinki area and 2.7% in other areas. The figures were especially bad in urban areas.
Housing starts of rental houses in Japan were 37,508 units (down 2.9%), decreasing for six consecutive months.
Housing starts of built-for-sale houses were 21,882 units (up 8.7%). By construction method, housing starts of prefabricated houses were 12,326 units (down 9.6%), decreasing for six consecutive months, and 2×4 houses were 10,740 units (down 5.9%), declining for ve months in a row. Both segments were affected by the decrease in rental houses which had been favourable.
By structure, housing starts of wooden houses were 49,926 units (down 1.4%), and non-wooden houses were 34,777 units (up 1%). Non-wooden houses increased due to the increase in condominiums. The ratio of wooden houses by the number of units decreased from the previous month to 58.9%.