As of September 2023, the average home deposit for first-time buyers who had to pay a ** percent deposit in Auckland, New Zealand was ****** New Zealand dollars. For buyers who had to pay a ** percent deposit for a house in Auckland, the average was ******* New Zealand dollars.

In December 2024, the value of mortgage lending to owner-occupier borrowers (excluding first-home buyers) in New Zealand amounted to around **** billion New Zealand dollars. Residential lending to investors was approximately **** billion New Zealand dollars in comparison. Housing affordability in New Zealand Many people across New Zealand have discarded the homeownership dream due to the country’s unaffordable housing supply. While average residential house prices fell across some of New Zealand’s regions in 2024, first-home buyers are still largely priced out of the market due to high mortgage repayments, interest rates, and average home deposit values. The monthly residential mortgage lending value to first-home buyers in New Zealand in December 2024 came to around *** billion New Zealand dollars, marking a slight rise from the previous month. The highest monthly value of mortgage lending to first-home buyers across the country was recorded in March 2021, during a year when average residential mortgage rates were at their lowest. Where are residential mortgage interest rates heading? According to a survey conducted in May 2023, rising interest rates were the leading property market concern among New Zealanders, with over ** percent of respondents expressing their concern. New Zealand’s average new residential mortgage interest rates were at their lowest in 2021 but have inflated greatly over the past few years. In June 2021, the average 1-year fixed interest rate for a new standard residential mortgage in New Zealand was at **** percent, with this rate rising to over *** percent by December 2023. Nonetheless, mortgage rates showed signs of leveling out at the end of 2023, and began declining in 2024.

The price of residential property in New Zealand was the highest in the Auckland region in June 2025, with an average sale price of around ******* New Zealand dollars. The most populated city in the country, Auckland, has consistently reported higher house prices compared to most other regions. Buying property in New Zealand, particularly in its major cities, is expensive. The nation has one of the highest house-price-to-income ratios in the world. Auckland residential market The residential housing market in Auckland is competitive. Prices have been slowly decreasing; the Auckland region experienced an annual decrease in the average residential house price in March 2025 compared to the same month in the previous year. The price of residential property in Auckland was the highest in the North Shore City district, with an average sale price of around **** million New Zealand dollars. Home financing Due to the rising cost of real estate, an increasing number of New Zealanders who want to own their own property are taking on mortgages. Most residential mortgage lending in New Zealand went to owner-occupier borrowers, followed by first home buyers. In addition to mortgage lending, previously under the KiwiSaver HomeStart initiative, first-home buyers in New Zealand were able to apply to withdraw all or part of their KiwiSaver retirement savings to assist with purchasing a first home. Nonetheless, the scheme was discontinued in May 2024. Furthermore, even with a large initial deposit, it may take decades for many borrowers to pay off their mortgage.

This report analyses mortgage affordability in New Zealand, which is presented as the proportion of a household's monthly earnings left over after a mortgage repayment. This is calculated using the average monthly repayment for a standard 30-year loan on the median house price with a 20% deposit. An increase in the percentage indicates the average mortgage becoming more affordable for households. The data for this report is calculated from information sourced from Statistics New Zealand (Tatauranga Aotearoa) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Te Putea Matua) and is presented as a percentage of average household earnings.

Driven by mortgage lending as their largest revenue stream, New Zealand’s banks maintain robust revenues despite cooling property prices. The RBNZ's rate hikes from 0.25% in 2020 to 4.25% in 2024 boosted mortgage interest income. While foreign investment and tight inventories keep real estate prices afloat, technology upgrades and regulations add cost pressures for major banks, squeezing profit margins. After slow revenue from 2020 to 2022 resulting from low interest rates and reduced mortgage revenue, banks found growth in 2023 and 2024, with heightened interest rates raising mortgage revenue. However, a drop-off is expected in 2025 as rate hikes make themselves felt, the actual volumes of mortgages lower and defaults rise with cost-of-living pressures. Overall, industry revenue has risen at an annualised 1.1% over the past five years and is expected to total $31.1 billion in 2024-25, when revenue will drop by an estimated 29.9%. Beyond mortgages, banks face challenges from shifting agricultural lending and evolving regulations like the Deposit Takers Act and the CoFI legislation. Dairy price volatility, land-use changes and more rigorous oversight have subdued traditional farm loan activity. In response, major banks – ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Westpac – are modernising their operations with machine learning, enhanced cybersecurity, fintech developments and updated banking apps. These initiatives aim to elevate customer engagement and ensure compliance but also increase costs and complexity. Looking ahead, heightened capital requirements will push large banks to raise equity, while open banking regulations spur data-sharing and fintech collaborations. Institutions are accelerating investments in cloud systems and analytics for greater efficiency and resilience. Simultaneously, sustainability commitments grow, driving innovative loan products and improving public trust. Although margins remain tight and interest-rate volatility persists, banks balancing prudent lending with technological and sustainable strategies are poised for a moderate recovery. Industry revenue is projected to climb at an annualised 2.5% through 2029-30, reaching $35.2 billion.

Key information about New Zealand Long Term Interest Rate

• New Zealand Government Bond Yield: 10 Years was reported at 4.58 % pa in Feb 2025, compared with 4.55 % pa in the previous month.
• New Zealand Long Term Interest Rate data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1985 to Feb 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 18.90 % pa in Mar 1986 and a record low of 0.46 % pa in Sep 2020.
• Long Term Interest Rate is reported by reported by Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

CEIC calculates monthly Long Term Interest Rate from daily 10 year Government Bond Yield. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand provides 10 year Treasury Bond Yield. Long Term Interest Rate prior to March 1985 is sourced directly from Reserve Bank of New Zealand.. The ten-year benchmark for New Zealand Government bonds with a fixed interest coupon paid semi-annually in arrears. The bonds are redeemable at par on maturity.


Related information about New Zealand Long Term Interest Rate

• In the latest reports, New Zealand Short Term Interest Rate: Month End: New Zealand: Bank Accepted Bills: 90 Days was reported at 5.71 % pa in Jun 2023.
• The cash rate (Policy Rate: Month End: New Zealand: Official Cash Rate) was set at 5.50 % pa in Jun 2023.
• New Zealand Exchange Rate against USD averaged 1.63 (USD/NZD) in Jun 2023.