Australia is experiencing a housing crisis because its home prices are among the highest in the world compared to incomes, we have some of the most indebted households in the world, and tenants are paying a record share of their income on rent.

According to CoreLogic, the total value of Australia’s housing stock was $11.3 trillion in April 2025, with the average home valued at exactly $1 million.
Compared to other English-speaking nations, Australians have more wealth tied up in housing and less in stocks.
Advertisement

One cause why property costs and leases are so costly is as a result of Australia has skilled an abnormally massive inhabitants improve because of immigration, and demand has far outpaced provide.

Advertisement
Based on the ABS population clock, Australia’s inhabitants has elevated by 8.7 million individuals (46% this century), the very best proportion rise within the developed nations.
One individual arrives to stay in Australia each 44 seconds.
This inhabitants surge has resulted in a persistent lack of housing for buy and rental.
Advertisement
The flood of funds into property has additionally disadvantaged companies of capital and diminished Australia’s productiveness.
In 1990, companies obtained about two-thirds of all financial institution loans, with mortgages and private loans accounting for the opposite third.
Thirty-five years later, the ratio has flipped, with greater than two-thirds of financial institution financing for housing.
Advertisement

Australia’s housing disaster to worsen:
Home costs in Australia are set to develop sharply in coming months.
Advertisement
Monetary markets anticipate the Reserve Financial institution of Australia (RBA) to slash rates of interest 4 extra instances this 12 months, with the money price anticipated to fall to three.10% by the top of 2025.

Decrease rates of interest will improve borrowing capability and purchaser demand, lifting costs.
Advertisement
Home costs may even rise considerably when Labor’s 5% deposit for all first-time purchasers comes into impact on January 1, 2026.
Labor’s coverage will enhance borrowing capability and appeal to extra first-time house consumers into the market, rising general purchaser demand and costs.
Australian renters are additionally going through bleak situations.
Advertisement
Knowledge on dwelling approvals and commencements continues to fall considerably in need of the federal government’s housing building goal.

Solely 168,050 items started building within the 12 months to This autumn 2024, 71,950 (30%) decrease than the annual run price of 240,000 required to achieve Labor’s housing goal, which got here into impact on July 1, 2024.
Over the primary 9 months of the Housing Accord, 139,352 homes had been accepted for building, which is 23% lower than the requirement of not less than 180,000.
Advertisement

Chart by Cameron Kusher
Traditionally, solely round 94% of approvals find yourself being accomplished, suggesting that the availability state of affairs is worse than prompt within the chart above.
On the identical time, immigration seems to be selecting up once more.
Advertisement

Actually, the joyous celebrations of migration brokers, worldwide college students, and the Indian group following the Albanese authorities’s reelection recommend that immigration will stay scorching:
Advertisement
The March federal finances conservatively forecast a 1.8 million inhabitants rise over the subsequent 5 years, with the bulk settling in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.

Supply: March 2025 federal finances
The place will they stay?
I mentioned these points in my weekly Treasury of Frequent Sense on Radio 2GB/4BC.
Advertisement
Add comment