Drops in home ownership and in social housing have fuelled growth in Scotland’s private rented sector.

The new Scottish Household Survey 2014 says that the social rented sector declined from 32% of all households in 1999 to 24% last year.

Over the same period, the proportion of households in the private rented sector almost tripled from 5% to 14%.

In 1999, 61% of Scottish households were owner-occupiers. This proportion climbed to 66% in 2007, but has now fallen back to 60%.

The total number of households in Scotland has risen by 11% since 1999 to stand at 2.42m last year.

Builders’ trade body Homes for Scotland said the drop in home ownership was the result of circumstance and not a change in aspiration.

Chief executive Philip Hogg said: “Those in the ‘squeezed middle’ have been left with little option other than to rent privately following a more than 40% fall in home building activity since 2007, coupled with the difficulty many who wish to buy still face in terms of getting large mortgage deposits together.”

The survey is here