The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in June 2025, it reached over one million Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023, with minor fluctuations in 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of April 2025. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 10 percent increase from April 2024, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the June quarter of 2025, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.37 million, representing an increase of about 53,600 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, elevated mortgage interest rates in recent years have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

The average price of Australian residential property has risen over the past ten years, and in December 2024, it reached 976,800 Australian dollars. Nonetheless, property experts in Australia have indicated that the country has been in a property bubble over the past decade, with some believing the market will collapse sometime in the near future. Property prices started declining in 2022; however, a gradual upward trend was witnessed throughout 2023, with minor fluctuations in 2024. Australian capital city price differences While the national average residential property price has exhibited growth, individual capital cities display diverse trends, highlighting the complexity of Australia’s property market. Sydney maintains its position as the most expensive residential property market across Australia's capital cities, with a median property value of approximately 1.19 million Australian dollars as of April 2025. Brisbane has emerged as an increasingly pricey capital city for residential property, surpassing both Canberra and Melbourne in median housing values. Notably, Perth experienced the most significant annual increase in its average residential property value, with a 10 percent increase from April 2024, despite being a comparably more affordable market. Hobart and Darwin remain the most affordable capital cities for residential properties in the country. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? The rise in property values coincides with the expansion of Australia's housing stock. In the December quarter of 2024, the number of residential dwellings reached around 11.29 million, representing an increase of about 53,200 dwellings from the previous quarter. However, this growth in housing supply does not necessarily translate to increased affordability or accessibility for many Australians. The country’s house prices remain largely disproportional to income, leaving the majority of low- and middle-income earners priced out of the market. Alongside this, elevated mortgage interest rates in recent years have made taking out a loan increasingly unappealing for many potential property owners, and the share of mortgage holders at risk of mortgage repayment stress has continued to climb.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2024. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 116.2 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

Long-term trends have made Australian housing more susceptible to current demand shocks, worsening the housing crisis.

This information was complied from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in Partial fullfilment of Coursework for the Master of Data Science taught at UNSW

Household income and wealth Australia, Building Activity Australia, Affordable Housing Database, National and Regional House Price Indices, Population Projections, Lending Indicators

Household income and wealth Australia ->https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/finance/household-income-and-wealth-australia/latest-release, Affordable Housing Database ->http://www.oecd.org/social/affordable-housing-database.htm, National and Regional House Price Indices ->https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=RHPI_TARGET, Population Projections ->https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=POPPROJ, Lending Indicators ->https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/finance/lending-indicators/apr-2021

The Crisis and Care Accommodation industry forms part of Australia's community welfare sector and provides services for some of the most economically vulnerable people in Australian society, including children, those with long-term disabilities and the elderly. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, a growing number of Australians were at increased risk of homelessness, with many experiencing financial hardship, persistent disadvantage and social exclusion. Stagnant wage growth in inflation-adjusted terms, heightened housing stress and associated incidences of family breakdown and family violence have boosted demand for crisis and care accommodation over the past few years. Given high inflation and rising rental costs, many of the industry’s clients have become increasingly vulnerable and their needs are also becoming more complex. Rising disability prevalence is creating additional challenges for residential care providers, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding that 5.5 million Australians had a disability in 2022 (latest data available). However, the ability to meet increased demand hasn't necessarily been matched by additional funding, constraining industry and profit growth. In light of these socio-economic variables and supply constraints, industry revenue growth is expected to be a modest 4.3% annualised over the five years through 2024-25 to $5.7 billion, including anticipated growth of 4.0% in the current year. Solid demand for residential care services will persist in the coming years, bolstered by a strong need for homelessness services as high rents and inflation exacerbate Australia’s housing crisis. An ageing population is set to continue driving demand for palliative care and respite services, while the existence of deep and persistent disadvantage among Australia’s most vulnerable population cohorts will continue to sustain demand for crisis and rehabilitation care. Government policies and associated regulatory reforms – including those stemming from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – will dictate the industry's operating environment. Industry growth rates will remain modest at 2.7% annualised through 2029-30, to reach $6.5 billion.

In 2024, Sydney had the highest price per square meter of land across major cities in Australia. Lot buyers expected to pay a premium of ***** Australian dollars per square meter in the capital of New South Wales. Conversely, lot buyers in Adelaide expected to spend around *** Australian dollars per square meter of land. Prices through the roof Over the past decade, the surge in land and housing costs has been attributed to rapid population growth, driving up median prices for property and land, particularly in cities. In Sydney, the per square meter price of land has almost tripled since 2010, while the number of new property listings has declined over the years. A shortage of residential land available to build on has exacerbated the housing affordability crisis in Australia. Will lending rates continue to climb? The homeownership dream is out of reach for the average Australian without a housing loan. Nevertheless, Australia's high mortgage interest rates for both owner-occupiers and investors have impacted current and aspiring mortgage holders, with the value of household lending trending downwards over the past two years. While rates remained high in the first half of 2024, they likely reached their peak, as shown by the gradual plateau in the second half of the year. This stabilization should, in turn, accelerate buying, selling, and lending activities.

Manufacturers have faced fluctuations in downstream household, building and tourism markets over the past five years. Overall, industry revenue is expected to have grown at an annualised 3.4% over the five years through 2024-25, to $640.0 million. Growth in capital expenditure on non-residential building construction has underpinned sales of relocatable buildings like modular classrooms, pop-up kiosks and site storage facilities. Sales in the commercial property market helped cushion the industry from a slump in the housing construction market and the pandemic-induced collapse in prefabricated tourism and holiday building sales. Some manufacturers benefited from the surge in household spending on backyard buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay-at-home restrictions and a boost in household discretionary incomes during the pandemic encouraged spending on granny flats, home studios, cubbyhouses, gazebos and outdoor gyms. However, household spending has dried up in recent years in the face of mounting cost-of-living pressures. Industry revenue is anticipated to contract 2.0% in 2024-25, corresponding with slumping residential building construction and household discretionary incomes in response to hiked mortgage interest rates. The recent deterioration in sales has contributed to a minor reduction in industry participation, which has fallen from a high point in 2021-22. The industry’s profit margin has also recently narrowed, contracting from a peak in 2022-23, although it has risen overall over the past five years. A return to favourable trends in residential building construction and household discretionary incomes will underpin the industry's solid performance in the coming years. Industry revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 3.5% over the five years to 2029-30, to $759.0 million. The industry's penetration into the traditional housing market will climb as technological advances improve prefabricated wooden buildings' competitiveness against on-site built housing. Opportunities for prefabricated building sales will remain solid in the non-residential property market. Some manufacturers will continue to benefit from the solid growth in the need for domestic and international tourist accommodation.

The self-storage market, valued at approximately $XX million in 2025, is projected to experience robust growth, driven by several key factors. The rising urbanization trend globally, coupled with increased residential mobility and a growing preference for smaller living spaces, fuels the demand for convenient and secure storage solutions. The e-commerce boom also significantly contributes to the market's expansion, as businesses require warehousing space for inventory management and fulfillment. Furthermore, the increasing adoption of cloud-based storage solutions for digital data complements the growth of physical self-storage facilities, creating a diversified market landscape. The market is segmented by user type (personal and business), with both segments exhibiting substantial growth potential. The North American market, particularly the United States, currently dominates the global self-storage landscape due to high residential mobility rates and established infrastructure. However, emerging markets in Asia and Europe show promising growth trajectories, driven by increasing disposable incomes and changing lifestyles. Competition within the market is intense, with major players like U-Haul, Life Storage, and CubeSmart vying for market share through strategic acquisitions, technological advancements, and expansion into new geographical territories. While challenges such as fluctuating real estate prices and economic downturns exist, the long-term outlook for the self-storage market remains positive, projecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.65% from 2025 to 2033. Despite the positive outlook, certain restraints could impact market growth. These include increasing construction costs, stringent regulations related to environmental impact and zoning, and the potential for economic slowdowns impacting consumer spending. However, innovative solutions such as climate-controlled units, enhanced security features, and flexible lease terms are mitigating these challenges and driving customer acquisition. The ongoing development of specialized self-storage facilities catering to specific needs, like art storage or wine cellars, presents further growth opportunities. The market's resilience is also bolstered by the inherent inelasticity of demand for storage; individuals and businesses require storage solutions irrespective of minor economic fluctuations. The trend towards technology integration, such as online booking platforms and automated access systems, further streamlines operations and improves customer experience, contributing to market expansion. Recent developments include: In March 2024, Singapore's StorHub, a leading self-storage operator, entered the Australian market with the launch of StorHub Australia, supported by a USD 300 million equity commitment. StorHub's Australian platform begins with five properties in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, featuring a combined gross floor area (GFA) of 56,210 square meters. These acquisitions enhance StorHub's presence in Australia and align with its pan-Asia growth strategy, adding 655,000 sq m to its portfolio across seven markets in the Asia-Pacific region., In February 2024, SecureSpace Self Storage announced opening a new self-storage facility, SecureSpace San Bernardino, located in San Bernardino, California. The self-storage facility has a proprietary high-security platform with artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and sensors offering state-of-the-art security and monitoring., In January 2024, Etude Capital, a company of self-storage facilities in the United States, and San Felipe Financing LLC, a private real estate entity, announced the launch of a Joint Venture, Etude Storage Partners, which would invest across the North American self-storage market.. Key drivers for this market are: Increased Urbanization Coupled with Smaller Living Spaces, Changing Business Practices and COVID-19 Consumer Behavior. Potential restraints include: Increased Urbanization Coupled with Smaller Living Spaces, Changing Business Practices and COVID-19 Consumer Behavior. Notable trends are: Personal Storage Segment is Expected to Hold Major Market Share.