Owner-occupier housing loans fell 9.3% in September: Australia

The value of new loan commitments for housing fell 8.2 per cent to $25.1 billion in September 2022 (seasonally adjusted), after a fall of 3.4 per cent in August, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Katherine Keenan, ABS Finance and Wealth Spokesperson, said: “The value of new owner-occupier loan commitments fell by 9.3 per cent in September, while the value of new investor loan commitments fell 6.0 per cent.

“Although housing lending has fallen for four consecutive months, the value of loan commitments in September remained well above pre-pandemic levels. Owner-occupier loans in September were 23 per cent higher than in February 2020, while investor loans were 60 per cent higher.”

Owner-occupier housing loans fell 9.3% in September

Total (ex. refinancing) ($b)Owner occupier (ex. refinancing) ($b)Investor (ex. refinancing) ($b)
Sep-0412.2137.4154.798
Oct-0411.9577.4154.542
Nov-0412.5737.6954.878
Dec-0412.9457.9335.012
Jan-0513.2258.0975.128
Feb-0513.8268.4915.335
Mar-0513.4938.2065.287
Apr-0513.2498.0875.162
May-0512.7338.034.703
Jun-0512.6858.1524.533
Jul-0512.8418.0944.747
Aug-0512.98.3084.592
Sep-0513.5278.6434.884
Oct-0514.0148.7135.301
Nov-0514.0538.8515.202
Dec-0514.0338.8775.155
Jan-0614.2698.9565.313
Feb-0614.4279.1795.248
Mar-0614.5399.2595.28
Apr-0614.7229.4725.25
May-0615.2499.4875.762
Jun-0615.5499.5196.03
Jul-0615.2859.7985.487
Aug-0615.0119.4895.522
Sep-0614.1559.1674.988
Oct-0614.3139.2765.037
Nov-0614.2029.234.972
Dec-0614.589.3995.181
Jan-0714.9649.585.384
Feb-0715.4039.775.633
Mar-0715.90810.0795.829
Apr-0716.30510.2646.041
May-0717.10210.6976.404
Jun-0718.2911.3446.946
Jul-0717.43110.7946.637
Aug-0717.43711.0566.381
Sep-0716.74510.4326.313
Oct-0716.8510.7726.078
Nov-0716.99410.6626.332
Dec-0716.54710.3616.186
Jan-0816.87110.7776.094
Feb-0815.6979.9215.776
Mar-0814.5579.1455.412
Apr-0813.8558.6945.161
May-0812.9968.2044.791
Jun-0812.968.1984.762
Jul-0812.7868.1364.65
Aug-0812.627.9564.664
Sep-0812.9838.2424.741
Oct-0813.3738.5644.808
Nov-0813.0348.5414.492
Dec-0813.9299.3814.548
Jan-0914.88810.2284.661
Feb-0915.37110.7874.584
Mar-0916.70811.9594.749
Apr-0917.01311.9275.086
May-0916.85711.8315.026
Jun-0917.21511.9685.247
Jul-0917.22211.7835.44
Aug-0917.33511.6295.706
Sep-0917.87312.1685.705
Oct-0917.611.8065.794
Nov-0917.07211.0875.985
Dec-0916.4910.6055.885
Jan-1015.93910.1085.831
Feb-1015.6729.7965.876
Mar-1015.559.6035.947
Apr-1015.2619.3625.898
May-1015.4269.4375.989
Jun-1015.1119.1235.989
Jul-1015.0489.2915.757
Aug-1014.6239.2225.401
Sep-1014.6219.1475.474
Oct-1014.6419.1565.485
Nov-1014.7129.3225.39
Dec-1015.0279.4545.573
Jan-1114.1549.015.144
Feb-1114.0668.8735.192
Mar-1113.6268.8274.798
Apr-1113.9994.99
May-1114.2429.0875.155
Jun-1114.1369.0975.039
Jul-1114.0839.0325.051
Aug-1114.1699.0395.13
Sep-1113.9398.85.139
Oct-1113.8558.8594.996
Nov-1114.0348.9555.079
Dec-1114.7319.4065.325
Jan-1214.7729.3975.375
Feb-1214.0768.6765.4
Mar-1214.0928.7035.389
Apr-1214.3488.9255.423
May-1214.5129.1115.401
Jun-1214.7339.2495.484
Jul-1214.7799.285.499
Aug-1214.8749.4415.433
Sep-1215.0989.4935.606
Oct-1214.9029.3855.516
Nov-1215.1839.4315.753
Dec-1215.3719.5285.843
Jan-1315.899.796.1
Feb-1316.1369.8736.263
Mar-1316.88410.3526.532
Apr-1316.93710.2996.638
May-1317.23610.4366.8
Jun-1317.30310.4756.828
Jul-1317.47510.526.955
Aug-1317.36210.2367.126
Sep-1318.20410.7617.443
Oct-1318.69310.8947.799
Nov-1319.21911.1798.04
Dec-1319.00410.9498.054
Jan-1419.16711.187.987
Feb-1419.36811.4397.929
Mar-1419.48911.388.108
Apr-1419.5911.3128.278
May-1419.50911.2388.271
Jun-1419.64111.3928.248
Jul-1419.82611.2868.54
Aug-1419.6310.9738.657
Sep-1419.99511.1198.876
Oct-1420.58511.4279.159
Nov-1420.04810.9449.104
Dec-1420.46411.3789.086
Jan-1520.69511.5189.177
Feb-1520.10611.2768.83
Mar-1521.24911.739.52
Apr-1521.84511.77310.072
May-1520.34211.1669.175
Jun-1521.12511.9949.131
Jul-1521.17612.3368.84
Aug-1521.70813.2188.489
Sep-1520.94513.5667.378
Oct-1520.02713.1466.881
Nov-1519.63912.9846.655
Dec-1519.59112.8926.698
Jan-1619.07612.4666.61
Feb-1619.33512.7166.618
Mar-1619.10112.4466.655
Apr-1619.6112.7076.903
May-1620.03912.8347.206
Jun-1620.21512.7037.512
Jul-1620.08112.4297.652
Aug-1619.88712.3297.558
Sep-1620.77812.4678.311
Oct-1621.19512.6148.582
Nov-1621.48212.6838.8
Dec-1622.0113.0868.924
Jan-1722.11913.1179.002
Feb-1721.67613.1328.543
Mar-1722.61113.718.901
Apr-1722.56413.878.695
May-1722.25513.8698.386
Jun-1722.13213.9828.15
Jul-1722.14914.2557.894
Aug-1722.40114.4687.933
Sep-1722.10314.3167.787
Oct-1721.64414.1267.517
Nov-1721.48814.1087.381
Dec-1721.18514.0337.152
Jan-1821.00914.0816.928
Feb-1821.01414.0776.937
Mar-1820.45113.8456.606
Apr-1820.24113.8026.439
May-1820.83614.3126.524
Jun-1820.35214.0316.321
Jul-1820.26413.9576.306
Aug-1819.41913.3876.032
Sep-1818.6512.8165.834
Oct-1818.86913.2245.644
Nov-1817.80512.4675.338
Dec-1816.98111.8575.124
Jan-1916.41911.54.919
Feb-1916.8811.9864.894
Mar-1916.41811.5924.826
Apr-1916.59211.8064.785
May-1916.47111.7344.737
Jun-1916.6311.8664.764
Jul-1917.05312.2044.849
Aug-1917.88512.6485.237
Sep-1918.08413.0395.045
Oct-1918.53313.45.134
Nov-1919.28513.9325.353
Dec-1919.62814.2425.386
Jan-2019.3914.0825.308
Feb-2018.8613.6485.212
Mar-2019.2114.1765.034
Apr-2018.38413.4454.939
May-2016.4912.314.18
Jun-2017.48713.0324.455
Jul-2019.06514.434.635
Aug-2021.34616.3974.95
Sep-2022.51417.2455.269
Oct-2023.00317.6935.31
Nov-2023.99118.4775.514
Dec-2025.53319.5465.987
Jan-2127.62121.1756.446
Feb-2128.18421.2956.889
Mar-2129.75121.9817.77
Apr-2131.01722.9348.083
May-2132.51123.4689.044
Jun-2131.59822.6648.934
Jul-2131.96722.6669.302
Aug-2131.30521.8449.461
Sep-2130.82620.9969.83
Oct-2130.45120.29410.157
Nov-2132.1321.56110.568
Dec-2132.77522.00610.769
Jan-2233.221.88911.311
Feb-2232.22320.86311.36
Mar-2232.74621.10611.64
Apr-2231.82420.7411.084
May-2232.38721.20411.183
Jun-2230.97320.49710.476
Jul-2228.35119.0549.298
Aug-2227.39318.5398.854
Sep-2225.13616.8098.327

The number of new loan commitments to owner-occupier first home buyers fell 8.3 per cent in September 2022, following a rise in August of 10.4 per cent. The fall was seen across all states and the Australian Capital Territory. The Northern Territory number was the same as in August. First home buyer loans remained well below the January 2021 peak and have been similar to levels seen in 2019 in recent months.

The value of borrower refinancing of owner-occupier housing loan commitments between lenders fell 7.2 per cent in September but remained 15 per cent higher than a year ago, at $11.9 billion. This followed a 2.8 per cent rise in August to an all-time high of $12.8 billion.

At the national level, the average loan size for owner-occupier dwellings, including construction and the purchase of new and existing dwellings, fell slightly in September from $589,000 to $588,000 (in original terms). Loan sizes remained 23 per cent higher than February 2020.

Aus*NSWVicQLDSAWATasNTACT
Owner-occupiers
Value ($b) :16.85.34.93.111.60.30.10.5
Value % change ** :-9.3-5.9-10.4-13.8-7.0-13.2-10.4-25.2-8.9
Owner-occupier first home buyers
Number % change ** :-8.3-7.8-6.8-12.3-8.0-15.6-31.0 †0.0-9.4
Investors
Value % change ** :-6.0-8.3-1.7-3.0-1.3-8.7-26.6 † 20.6†-12.2

* Total Australia levels do not necessarily equal the sum of states, due to independent seasonal adjustment

** All movements are on a month-to-month basis

† A smaller and more volatile series

The value of new loan commitments for fixed term personal finance fell 5.2 per cent (seasonally adjusted) in September 2022. Lending for the purchase of road vehicles fell 6.8 per cent, while lending for personal investment fell 10.0 per cent.

/ABS Public Release. View in full here.