The large fall, which compares to the second quarter in 2011, is not mirrored in the private sector which saw a 3% decrease.
The registration of 2,800 London Olympics Village properties in the second quarter of last year slightly skews the figures. Removing them from the statistics shows a 33% drop in the public sector and 5% growth in the private sector.
Several regions did experience housing growth, including the West Midlands (up to 2,721 from 1,879) and Wales (up to 1,286 from 750).
“Our registration statistics continue to show a divide between the direction of travel for private and public sector registrations in the UK, with social housing levels falling but slight increases in the private sector,” said NHBC commercial director Richard Tamayo.
