The average age of a first-time buyer in Britain has risen to 38, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics, underscoring the severity of a housing crisis that successive governments have failed to address.

The figure represents a dramatic shift from a generation ago, when the typical first-time buyer was 26. In London and the South East, the average has climbed even higher, to 41, with some boroughs recording median ages above 45.

"We have created a system that effectively locks an entire generation out of home ownership," said the director of the Resolution Foundation. "The consequences — for wealth inequality, for family formation, for social mobility — are profound and deeply troubling."

The government's response has centred on planning reform, with a new bill designed to streamline the approval process for housing developments. However, critics argue that the measures fail to address the fundamental imbalance between supply and demand, particularly in urban centres where land costs make affordable development economically unviable.

The data also reveals a growing regional divide. While house prices in parts of the North and Midlands remain within reach of median earners, the gap between earnings and house prices in London has widened to a ratio of 14:1 — the highest on record.